Photo Shoppe
by NutsForTheBuckeyes
Summary: He didn't know he was looking. She didn't know she was waiting to be found. Will a chance job opportunity bring two people together? Will secrets keep them apart? Life was waiting to happen, all they had to do was let it...
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

_**EZRA**_

He couldn't believe he'd gotten roped into this. I mean, sure, the best man was usually dragged along for random wedding-related appointments, but wasn't this a bit soon? They had planned on lying back and doing absolutely nothing as a way to celebrate his best friend's recent engagement. Maybe drink a few beers and watch some football. Obviously that plan was nixed before it had an opportunity to even see day light.

So here they were, walking down Main St. in Rosewood, PA looking for a shop that bore the same address as the one chicken scratched on the piece of paper currently residing in Hardy's hand. Supposedly they were looking for who Hardy's fiancé, Amy, promised would be the best photographer in all of eastern Pennsylvania. How she knew this Ezra couldn't say.

"121… 123… 125…" Hardy read off as they passed each little shop in the middle of town. He squinted through the bright light of that Saturday afternoon to see each address marker.

"I really don't think it's necessary for you to read _every_ number of _every_ shop we pass. It's a safe assumption to say that the following business will be two numbers ahead of the previous. We're looking for 137 so give up reciting addresses for another block at least," Ezra snapped as they passed a group of older women, parting before meeting again a second later.

"Jeez, Man, lighten up. I know I ruined our bro day but this shouldn't take too long. Amy promised that all I needed to do was go in, say hi, and grab some forms to fill out. I'm not even allowed to fill out those papers without her. Do you think she thinks I'm a complete idiot? You know what, don't answer that." Hardy rolled his eyes and muttered a couple more comments under his breath, looking Ezra's way long enough to see that he was still paying attention to addresses.

"I'm sure she doesn't think you're a complete idiot… just mostly one," Ezra chuckled.

"Hahaha. Wait, here we go," Hardy replied, coming to a stop in front of a shop sandwiched between a coffee shop and bookstore. The sign hanging above the entrance read _Photo Shoppe_, _A&L Photography_. "Cute name."

Ezra rolled his eyes. "Come on. I don't have all day, the Buckeyes are playing at four." He pushed open the door, alerting the shop owner to their presence as a small bell above the door rang out.

"I'll be with you in a second!" They heard a female voice call from the back of the shop. Ezra took the free time to look around the quaint little room. There were photographs on almost every visible surface, including walls and doors, with tripods, lights, and other random photography equipment strewn here and there. It really was an adorable space, not overtly disorganized in any way, but rather very welcoming and professional at the same time.

Hardy, looking like he was in the waiting room at a dentist's office, heaved a sigh and began tapping his fingers against the countertop holding a large agenda book and cash register. Ezra glared at him in an attempt to both calm his friend down and tell him to knock it off. He retracted his hand back into his pocket and continued to lean against the wooden framework.

"Hi there, I'm Aria. How can I help you both today?" Ezra turned around at the melodic voice that sounded from just over his right shoulder. Standing behind him had to be one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his life.

"H-h-hi…" Ezra stuttered out, unable to tear his eyes away from the 5'2" beauty in front of him.

"Hi there, I'm Hardy. This is my best man, Ezra, and we've been commanded to coerce you into agreeing to photograph my wedding day," Hardy jumped in. He shoved a hand out towards Aria, who chuckling a bit to herself, took it and then turned to Ezra to do the same.

_'Her hand fit within mine like a glove_,' he thought. After an awkward moment, Hardy cleared his throat and Aria turned her attention towards Ezra's best friend.

"I'm sure coercing will be totally unnecessary, I've created this business to do exactly what you're asking for and either myself, or my partner, Lucas, would be more than happy to capture every moment of your special day. So when exactly is your wedding? I just have to make sure we're free and don't accidentally double book anything." Aria pushed a stray piece of hair behind one ear as she flipped open the agenda book lying across the desk.

"June 12th. I know, I know. That's like nine months away, but my fiancé absolutely demanded that we book you now so that we can get you to do our engagement pictures in about a month as well," Hardy replied. Aria let out a little laugh, and penciled in the date to her calendar.

"That's perfect timing, I like that your fiancé is on top of this. Here is a list of our prices, and I'd be happy to show you some pictures from previous weddings I've shot, if you'd like." Aria handed Hardy a piece of paper listing the prices for all of the different packages they offered. Ezra laughed to himself as he watched Hardy's eyes bug out from his head. Having always been a bit tight with his money, it didn't surprise him that Hardy would baulk at what he was sure were reasonable prices for Aria's services. Luckily, though, Hardy decided to wait until later to complain about the money.

"That'll be unnecessary. Amy has been researching you, dresses, and cake designers since I popped the question two weeks ago. She has her heart set on getting you to do this for us."

"Well, I'm honored that you've decided to allow me this honor. Here are my terms of contract, I'll need you and your fiancé to fill these out and get them to me along with a 25% deposit as soon as possible. Once all of that is set to go, we'll set up a date to take the engagement photos." Hardy was handed a folder of papers as Aria walked out from behind the desk to again shake their hands. As they walked towards the door, Ezra couldn't help but feel a pull towards Aria, like he needed to touch or hold her in some way.

'_This is crazy_,' he thought. He had barely met this girl and already he wanted to hug her goodbye? '_Get a grip_.' He shook his head as they reached the entrance.

"Thank you again and I look forward to seeing you soon," Aria said as they heard the bell ring again when Hardy pulled open the door.

"Goodbye, Aria," Ezra said softly. With one last glance back, he followed his best friend out onto the bustling Rosewood street and heaved a heavy sigh to himself. This was going to be a long couple of months.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

_**EZRA**_

This day seemed to drag on and on. It was Friday afternoon and as much as he loved teaching, there was nothing more that he wanted to do than to pack up his desk, go home, and relax. Unfortunately, the principle had decided that Friday would be a great day for a staff meeting. This meant that when the last bell rang in (he quickly shot his eyes to the clock on the back wall) ten minutes, that he would be free of students but forced to spend the next hour with his colleagues, most of whom he couldn't stand.

"Mr. Fitz I don't understand why we have to complete a structural analysis of this book. I mean it's Friday! We have a game tonight and I need to have a clear head to do good!"

"Mr. Grimes you are sitting in a _senior_ English class. It is "do well" not "do good." Please don't disrespect me or your previous English teachers by using incorrect grammar. And I know you have a game, but you also need to graduate at the end of this year, so just do what you're asked," Ezra shot back. It was only mid-September and already he'd had more issues with this senior class than with any of his others.

A couple groans were heard from somewhere in the middle of the classroom but Ezra just rolled his eyes. His students wanted a good grade without doing the work. Well that wasn't going to happen. He was well known for being a tough but exceptional teacher and he planned on keeping that reputation.

Within a few minutes the normal end of day chaos commenced as the last bell of the day rang out. As Ezra watched his students pile out of his room and head off in various directions towards home or wherever they were headed, he couldn't help but become a bit nostalgic. He hadn't hated his time in high school, he missed all of his friends and the ongoing activities provided by the school, but he was glad it was over. Digging through his desk drawer for a few quarters, he headed towards the cafeteria for a soda.

"I'm quite sure I don't need any help here, thank you though," Ezra heard as he entered the large dining hall. He recognized the voice and quickly turned to from where it had resonated.

"Please just leave my things where they are and allow me to pack up. I don't need any help," Aria stated with a cool, no funny business tone of voice. She was currently in the middle of packing what looked to be a photo shoot set up in the back corner of the room and was having to endure unwanted attention from one of the junior lacrosse boys.

"Ms. Montgomery I can't just let you carry all of this by yourself. I was raised a gentleman and it's my responsibility to help where I'm needed," the teenager replied with a smirk. He went to stand a bit closer than necessary to Aria. "And in return I might just allow you to keep me company at dinner sometime."

Ezra quickly strode across the lunchroom towards the two. "Enough, Andrew. Besides the fact that it would be completely inappropriate for Ms. Montgomery to get involved with a minor, your persistence to this matter is both annoying and rude. Please be on your way," Ezra spit out through his tightly grit teeth.

Aria's head snapped to where he stood a few feet away. As her eyes met his he could see the gratitude clear as day as the student stalked away, shooting a lengthy glare in Ezra's direction.

"Thank you so much. Ezra wasn't it? I didn't expect to run into you here," she said so softly he almost missed it.

"I teach 12th grade English here at Rosewood High. And I'm sorry for that, high school boys have yet to construct any kind of restraint when it comes to the opposite sex," Ezra replied with a chuckle. "In fact, it's a struggle for some men as well. What are you doing here by the way?"

Aria continued to pack up her equipment as she responded. "I'm taking make-up yearbook photos. You know, for those people who were absent the day we actually took the pictures… or for those girls who demand a retake because their hair wasn't perfect." Ezra let out a short laugh. Oh yeah, he knew of a few girls in the student body who had probably graced Aria with their presence that day.

"Well regardless of the circumstances, I'm glad to have ran into you again," Ezra told her. She looked up from where she was rolling up her back matting and as their eyes met, Ezra swore he felt like time had stopped. He heard her quietly hitch her breath and look away, almost as if she was struggling not to respond to the obvious attraction between the two of them. "Can I help you carry any of this? As much as I hate to admit it, Andrew was right. A gentleman would never let a lady lift all of this by herself."

Aria sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Sure. I could use the help."

Ezra quickly started to grab whatever he could get his hands on and stood up to follow Aria out the door. She had to stop herself from laughing at how ridiculous he looked as he almost toppled over after insisting on carrying mostly _everything_. When they reached her car she started to carefully unload Ezra of her equipment.

After his hands were free he quickly took a look at the watch wrapped around his wrist. "Shoot, I gotta get going. I hope this isn't too forward of me and that Andrew didn't use up your quota for the day but I have to ask-"

"Ezra, you're babbling," Aria laughed. She opened the driver's door and stood there waiting for Ezra to ask whatever it was that was on his mind. He mimicked her form from earlier by running a hand through his mop of curly, dark brown hair. He was nervous and it was very obvious.

"I'd like to get to know you better. Let me take you to dinner sometime?" There was an awkward silence as Aria thought about what he had just asked. The struggle was clear on her face as she contemplated how to respond.

"I'd like to get to know you too, Ezra… but this isn't a good time for me. I'm sorry."

Confusion graced his features as he watched Aria climb into her car. He was sure she felt the connection between the two of them, it was hard to miss. So then why had she denied him? As she started the car, Ezra quickly gained some confidence and knocked lightly on her window, indicating that he wanted her to roll it down. It was her turn to look confused as she hit the button to depress the glass separating them.

"I know that the timing may not have been ideal but I also know that you feel this too. I'm not the kind of guy to pressure a girl into doing anything she isn't comfortable with so I just want to let you know that I'll wait… for as long as it takes." He told her quietly. "I don't know the reasons behind your answer but I have a feeling that you're worth waiting for, and that's exactly what I plan on doing. See you around, Aria."

The shock on her face was enough of an encouragement to form a small smile on his face as Ezra quietly backed away from the car and started back towards the school. He would fight for her and from just the short period of time that he had known her, she wouldn't make it easy. But that's ok, because he was sure she would be worth it.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

_**ARIA**_

_Ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong_

"I'm coming! Jeez, keep your pants on!" Aria shouted as she padded towards her front door, wrapping her oversized sweater closer to her body. It was a cool Sunday afternoon in late September and as much as Aria wanted to turn on the heat, she decided the extra money in her pocket was worth more. Her parents had left her their house in Rosewood as they moved closer to where her father taught at Hollis College. Unfortunately, inheriting an old house also meant inheriting all of the quirks that came with it, including the expensive heating bills.

Aria opened her front door to see her three best friends standing on the other side. "Hey guys, what are you all doing here?" Before she had a chance to blink or even really invite them in, they were pushing past her and making themselves at home.

"Aria, it's been like _forever_ since we all hung out," Hanna whined. "Besides I have some big news and I didn't want to have to tell each of you separately. This is so much easier."

Aria couldn't help but roll her eyes at Hanna's dramatic answer. Chances were her big news was probably a new clothing store opening in town or her mom finally allowing Caleb to move in with them. Although they were all 24 years old, Hanna's relationship with her fiancé had always been a sore subject for her mom as Caleb didn't come from the kind of money that they did. It was very judgmental but it seemed that Miss Maron was slowly getting over it. They made their way to the couches in Aria's living room.

"Auntie Spencer, Emily and Hanna! I not know we was havin' a party!" They all turned their heads towards the staircase leading to the second level as the cutest little boy came barreling down. He bore Aria's perfect facial features but his mop of light brown, almost blond hair, was clearly from his father.

"There's my favorite nephew! Come here, Parks!" Spencer exclaimed. Parker rushed right into her arms and let out a happy squeal as she lifted him from the ground. "Ooph, for a three year old, you're getting big! Pretty soon I won't be able to lift you anymore!"

Aria chuckled as she watched their interaction. Parker had been the result of a doomed relationship with her high school flame. As soon as Aria realized that the relationship with her ex- was doing her more harm than good, she booked it. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to cut all ties and it was becoming a very sore subject in her life.

"Parker, Sweetheart, why don't you go play with your new toys Grandma bought for you? I'll call you down in a bit when lunch is ready," Aria softly asked her son.

He let out a disappointed whine but climbed down from his spot on Spencer's lap. "Otay, Momma," he replied in his adorable lisp. Parker retreated on all fours back up the stairs towards his room and all four girls couldn't help but let out a laugh as they watched him.

"Have you heard from Noel, Aria?" Emily asked quietly. They all knew it was a touchy subject for her.

"Not since our run in at day care," Aria replied with an angry sigh. "You know, I think it's completely ironic how the second he found out I was pregnant, he went out and cheated on me. Then, to make things even better, he tells me he's not ready to be a father and just disappears for almost three years. How can he expect to suddenly jump into Parker's life because 'now he's ready'?" She sat back with a heavy thud and stared almost dejectedly out the front window of the house.

Emily got up from her position on the couch next to Hanna and made her way next to Aria on the loveseat. "You know that we're here for you, right? We won't let that bastard anywhere near you or Parker."

"Yeah, Aria. My mom's already on top of the paperwork to ensure you have full custody of Parks. Once the judge signs off on it, this Noel situation will be over forever," Spencer chimed in.

Aria couldn't help but let a small smile grace her face. She had been best friends with these girls since she was Parker's age and she knew they would always have her back. Mrs. Hastings was the town's best lawyer and even though she didn't normally take on custody cases, this one was too close to home for her to pass up. Aria was confident that as soon as a date for a court hearing was set, she would do everything within her power to help Aria gain full custody. There was a comfortable silence for a few moments before Hanna again piped in with a dramatic sigh.

"_Guuyyss_, I have news, remember?" They all laughed at her insistence to be as dramatic as possible. When Hanna noticed that she had everyone's full attention, she quickly clapped her hands. "Ok, so guess what?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "What, Hanna?"

"Tomorrow morning, Caleb and I will be signing the documents needed to open my own clothing store about a block away from Aria's shop! We finally got approved for the loan!" Hanna squealed.

"Hanna that's great! Congratulations!" all of the girls exclaimed.

Hanna had attended one of the most prestigious fashion schools in New York after high school and received her degree in fashion design. Caleb, on the other hand, had stayed close to Rosewood and gotten a dual degree in business and computer engineering. They all knew he was good for Hanna, keeping her grounded and focused. He would be sure to do the same thing for her business. Aria got up and made her way to the kitchen to start on Parker's lunch as the girls followed and continued chatting over Hanna's exciting news.

"We need to go out for drinks to celebrate!" Spencer called out with a huge smile. "And find a couple cute guys to buy them for us."

Aria let out a small laugh. Even though she was the only single one in the group, that didn't stop the girls from acting like they were as well. Within reason, of course.

"Maybe we can find a cute guy for Aria as well!" Hanna exclaimed. A blush crossed Aria's cheeks as she thought about Ezra. She wasn't ready for that kind of commitment, or even for a one night stand as Hanna was hinting. She quickly diverted her eyes as the girls took in her silent response.

"Aria Montgomery, what was that? Have you met someone?" Spencer asked with a look of complete bewilderment on her face. Aria had been with Noel since she was sixteen and then single ever since finding out she was pregnant. As much as her friends tried to hook her up with guys, Aria resisted any kind of relationship. They had a feeling she had just convinced herself no one would want her _and _a kid, so she refused to put herself out there. Her friends were determined to change that.

"No, not really. I mean I've met lots of guys…" Aria replied, trying to dodge the topic. She wasn't sure what this thing with Ezra was yet so she was reluctant to bring it up.

"Who is he?" Emily asked, as always, with her blunt nature.

"No one. Really. A groom came in to the shop with his best man and hired me to shoot his wedding. I've ran into the best man since then and he asked me out. It's no big deal. I said no. End of story."

"Aria! You need to stop closing yourself off to every guy that shows interest!" Hanna cried out, slamming her hands down with flourish on Aria's countertop. Aria shot her a glare to keep it down as her son was right upstairs. "Sorry," Hanna replied, clearly not sorry at all.

"I wanted to say yes, but this situation with Noel and Parker… besides you all know that the second any guy finds out about him, they'll be out the door. I can't do that to Parks," Aria replied, busying herself with her son's macaroni and cheese.

Spencer rolled her eyes at Aria's despondent response. "Aria, you know that's not true. A respectable guy will accept both you _and_ Parker. Any guy that wouldn't, isn't worth it. You've been doing this alone for so long now that it's time to let someone help. Stop closing that window and finally open the door… Your perfect guy is waiting for you to take a chance. It's about time for you to let life happen."

With that, each of her friends bid Aria goodbye, shouting their departure up the stairs toward her son. Aria leaned against the counter as she took in what her friends had said. Maybe they were right.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

_**EZRA**_

"Bro, I need your help, desperately," Hardy whined as he plopped himself down on Ezra's worn leather sofa. Ezra headed towards his fridge and grabbed two beers, removing the caps and handing one to Hardy as he sat down next to him. He ignored the desperation in Hardy's voice and instead turned his attention to the football game currently playing on his flat screen hanging on the brickwork of the opposite wall.

Taking a long draw from his bottle, Hardy turned his entire body towards his best friend. "I'm serious, Dude. Amy's about ready to de-man me."

Ezra rolled his eyes before carefully choosing his response to Hardy's absurd statement. "Well that would save us all from any potential offspring you might have. God knows, we don't need another you running around," Ezra chuckled.

"Har-har-har. I forgot that you were such a comedian. This is serious. I forgot to run that paperwork and deposit to the photographer. It's been like three weeks and Amy's convinced that they already erased our name from the calendar."

"So what exactly do you need my help with? Just drive the papers and check over there. Now. In fact, you passed the place on the way to my apartment to begin with. Why didn't you just stop then?" Ezra asked in exasperated bewilderment. He loved his best friend, but it was often _very _difficult to understand his logic.

Hardy chugged the rest of his beer before throwing the empty bottle onto the nearest end table. "I don't have any time. I told Amy I took care of this yesterday and she's-" Hardy stopped his explanation to check his phone that had just vibrated, signaling he had received a new text message. "She's expecting me at this brunch thing with her parents like _now_. Do you have any Listerine I can borrow? Can't meet the future in-laws smelling like a brewery."

"Yeah, they wouldn't agree to you marrying their daughter if they knew the real you," Ezra replied, once again turning back to the TV as Hardy made his way into his bathroom, digging through the cabinets for mouthwash.

"Whatever, listen. Can you please take these to the photographer for me? I'll owe you. Big time," Hardy responded when he returned. Ezra huffed in annoyance. Already, this best man stuff was getting under his skin. He had to help Hardy more than any other best man had to help the groom in the history of weddings. He was sure of it.

"Fine, give me the goods." Hardy let out a small fist pump before digging in his pockets to receive the crumpled up check and half torn paperwork. "Gosh, Hard, can you make it look even more like a kindergartener got ahold of these papers?"

"Chill, Man. She won't care. Besides, I'm giving you a second chance to get her number," Hardy replied with a smirk. Ezra had told his best friend all about his run-in with Aria at the school and had jibed him for the past couple of weeks on her rejection.

"Just give me the papers and check and get out," Ezra replied with fake anger. Hardy handed over the necessary items and made his way towards the door.

"Seriously, I owe you a beer or something. Catch you later."

"Later," Ezra called back as the door slammed close in Hardy's rush to meet up with his fiancé. Ezra sighed before setting down his beer and searching for the remote to turn off the TV.

'_She's probably the only person I would miss an OSU game to meet,'_ he thought to himself. The thought itself scared him. What was this hold she had over him? He wasn't sure but he knew he was determined to find out.

The bell over the door rang out as Ezra pushed his way into the tiny shop and out of the cool October air. Looking around, he saw that not much had changed. There was an organized clutter that claimed the place and just screamed of Aria's presence.

"Hi, what can I do for you?" A guy who looked no more than a year or so younger than Ezra appeared from the back office to see whom had entered the store.

Disappointed that he wouldn't be dealing with Aria, Ezra tugged the paperwork and check that Hardy had given him out of his pocket. "Hi, I just need to drop these forms and deposit check off for a friend of mine."

"Lucas! Did that new shipment of developing formula come in? I can't find the ledger," Ezra heard called from a room off the back corner. He assumed this was some kind of dark room for developing prints. Soon enough, Aria appeared from the room, head down as she thumbed through a couple of delivery papers.

"I haven't seen anything, Ar. And the ledger's right here," Lucas responded as she got closer. Aria looked up when she realized they weren't alone and her eyes quickly met Ezra's. Lucas let out a small cough to break them out of their staring contest before wrapping his arm across Aria's shoulders and giving her a quick squeeze. "I'll run over to the supplier after work and pick some up."

Lucas made sure to hold Ezra's gaze as he said this and rubbed Aria's back. He knew guys had a tendency to get a little too close for her comfort, so whenever possible he acted the part of her guard dog. He could see the jealousy cross Ezra's features as he suddenly clenched his hands into fists and his mouth formed a tight line.

"Thanks, Lucas. I'll handle this, why don't you go now?" She asked as she turned her attention away from Ezra.

"Are you sure?" Lucas was confused at her dismissal. She was normally never this open to spending time alone with anyone, let alone a guy.

"Yeah, go on. I kinda need it today." As Lucas made his way out the back entrance, Aria set down the papers she was holding and picked up Hardy's paperwork. She let out a small laugh at its condition and Ezra thought again that is sounded like music.

"Your boyfriend's a bit protective, isn't he?" Ezra shot out before thinking. He mentally slapped himself.

Aria turned a confused glance his way before responding. "Lucas isn't my boyfriend, just my business partner. He's actually happily married."

Ezra smiled. "Well then, I apologize for getting a bit jealous."

"Why would you be jealous? We've never gone out."

"No, but I just thought that a beautiful woman such as yourself had to have a boyfriend, that was why you rejected my dinner proposal. When I thought Lucas was said boyfriend, I couldn't help but be jealous that he could have you but I couldn't," Ezra replied in a rush. He couldn't believe that he'd just spilled his heart out to her.

Aria responded with a small laugh. "Well, no worries. There's no boyfriend in the picture."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Ezra rocked back onto his heels before diving in for a second attempt at wooing her. "So I heard about this Halloween thing in the park next weekend, maybe, since you're single, you'd like to go with me?" He waited anxiously for her reply.

Aria let out a sigh as she nervously straightened the papers on the desk in front of her. "I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I actually have a shoot next weekend."

"The next weekend then? I think it's going on for a while."

"Look, Ezra. I think you're a really nice guy and all, but I just can't. I'm not in the right frame of mind for anything serious right now and you don't seem like the kind of person I could have an easy fling with. I'm sorry."

Ezra laughed. "Well, you're right about one thing. I could never have an 'easy fling' with you. But like I said before, I'll wait. For as long as it takes." He took her small hand in his as he made his way to leave. "Catch you later, Aria." The bell chimed as he left the studio.

Looking down, she noticed he had slipped a piece of paper into her hand with a phone number. A smile spread across her face and she shook her head at the absurdity of the situation. Ezra sure was persistent but would it pay off in the end?


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

_**ARIA**_

"_Got a little boom in my big truck, gonna open up the doors and turn it up, gonna stomp my boots in the Georgia mud, gonna watch you make me fall in love…"_

"God, I LOVE this song!" Hanna cried out over the pounding melody. Emily let out a giggle as she watched her friend hop down from her bar stool and attempt to do some kind of line dance in the middle of the crowded tavern.

"Hanna, please sit down before we get kicked out," Aria giggled. She was pretty sure all four of them were inebriated enough to warrant being thrown out at any second. She didn't want to press their luck by doing anything silly, like knocking over a waiter or something.

It was Friday night, about a week after she had last seen or heard from Ezra. She hadn't used his number, unsure of what exactly she would say to him anyways. When her friends had called and ordered her to come out to the bar that night, Aria was actually happy for once to oblige. Maybe she needed some alcohol in her system to forget all about her Ezra drama. Or Noel drama for that matter. Her mom was gracious enough to watch Parker for a bit as well, relieved that her daughter was actually socializing again.

Spencer returned to the table with another round of shots. As the liquid burned its way down her throat, Aria let out a small cough and shook her head. "No more. Man, I haven't drank this much in a while." The girls let out sounds in agreement. A shadow suddenly cast itself over their table.

"Hi, there. Mind if I buy you girls another round?" Aria turned around to find herself looking at a guy that didn't look too much older than themselves. Her attempt to deny him was cut off before she was able to squeak out a sound.

"Sure! We'll have another round of Washington Apples!" Hanna called out. Aria just rolled her eyes as the guy eagerly took off to get their shots.

"Hanna! Don't encourage him!"

"I'm not! Ok, well maybe I am, but hey, free shots!"

The guy returned a second later with their shots and Aria couldn't help but notice the definition in his biceps. Arms had always been a thing of hers, she didn't know why. Catching her eye, the man lifted his shot and cheered with the girls before throwing it back. He winked at Aria before turning around to find his friends.

Taking a deep breath, Aria realized just how drunk she was and knew that if she didn't get some fresh air _soon_ things were about to turn out badly. "Guys, I'm gonna step outside for a minute. I need to cool off."

"Want me to come with you?" Spencer asked with concern. Aria shook her head and grabbed her purse and phone before heading towards the door. The front of the tavern was almost completely windows, so she was sure her friends would keep an eye on her anyways.

Stepping out into the cool autumn air, Aria instantly felt a lot better. She let out a huff of cold air before leaning against the building and pulling out her phone to check for any missed calls from her mom. There was nothing.

"Funny running into you out here," she heard a deep voice call from beside her. Turning her head, Aria saw the man from earlier. It didn't seem to be such a coincidence that the second she stepped outside he had followed.

Nervously, she pocketed her phone and wiped her hands on her jeans. "Yeah, it was getting a bit stuffy in there. I just needed a breath of fresh air. I'm good now, so excuse me…" As she attempted to push her way past him, he stuck out his arm against the wall to block her path. Aria's warning alarms immediately went off.

"Hey, where are you going so fast? I thought we could chat a bit. I did buy you a drink after all," he replied with a grin.

"I'm sorry but my friends are waiting on me. Thank you for the shot, but I really need to get back."

"Oh, come on now. A few more minutes won't hurt anyone… besides I know you feel the attraction here too. Don't deny it." As he said this, the man made his way closer to where Aria was trapped against the wall.

"I believe the lady said no," a voice rang out from behind her. Aria didn't turn around for fear of what the man would do if she did.

"And who the hell are you?"

"Her boyfriend. Take off." A warm arm wrapped itself around her waist as the drunk guy let out an aggravated huff and left to go back into the tavern. Aria suddenly felt a calm aura set over her at the presence of the man next to her, all feelings of being afraid were gone. Turning, she saw that her savior was none other than Ezra Fitz.

"So you're my boyfriend now?" Aria asked with a small smile.

Ezra returned the smile as he removed his arm from her waist. With a shrug he replied, "You know I'd love to be… if you ever give us a shot."

Aria released a small shudder, either from the gust of cold air that had hit her or from the absence of Ezra's arm. She wasn't sure which. Unfortunately, she hadn't brought along a coat as it would have been another thing to keep ahold of at the crowded bar. Ezra removed his without a second thought and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Thanks," she told him. "I better get back to my friends, thanks again for helping me."

"Your friends look like they don't want you to return," Ezra chuckled, staring into the lit up tavern. Turning Aria saw that he was right. Hanna, Emily, and Spencer were all staring out at them, waving their arms and mouthing for her to go. She rolled her eyes before turning back to him.

"I should probably head home. It's getting pretty late."

"Let me drive you, my car's right there. I actually just came from a poetry reading down the street."

Aria chewed on her bottom lip as she thought this over. Surprisingly, she found that she trusted Ezra. "Ok."

Climbing into the car, Ezra turned up the heat as high as it would go before pulling out onto the road. Aria directed him towards her home and soon enough they were pulling into the drive.

"Thank you, Ezra," Aria almost whispered as she gripped the handle of the car, ready to make her departure.

"Aria, wait-" Ezra replied, as he lightly touched her arm to catch her attention. "I know you've turned me down twice now and don't worry, I'm not going to ask again… right now," he said with a small smile. "But I want to make sure that you feel this too. That it's not just me making a fool out of myself."

Aria cast her eyes down at her boot clad feet before nervously responding. "I feel it, Ezra. I just…" She trailed off, unsure of how to continue. She again pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she avoided his gaze.

Reaching over, he gently pulled her lip from between her teeth, then took her hand. Aria's eyes immediately met his. "That's all I needed to hear. I'll wait for you, Aria. I'm sorry for coming on so strong before. You know where I stand with this, so the ball's in your court now."

A crease made its way between Aria's eyebrows. Sport metaphors had never been her forte.

Chuckling, Ezra said, "I mean, it's up to you where we go from here. I'll switch positions with you and wait for you to ask me."

Aria let out a small laugh. "You might be waiting a while then, so take a seat."

"I purchased my seat the day I met you, I'm not going anywhere."

Aria smiled as she pulled open the door and made to take off his coat.

"No, keep it. I'm sure I'll get it back later," Ezra smiled. Where he got his confidence from when it came to her, he didn't know but he was going to run with it. "Goodnight, Aria Montgomery."

"Goodnight," she whispered. As she made her way into her house, Ezra's taillights faded into the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

_**ARIA**_

She couldn't believe the nerve of Noel. Aria had run into him at the grocery store that day and let's just say he had been less than enthused at her night out with the girls. His friends had seen her there and now were claiming she had been silly drunk, throwing herself at any guy that walked by.

This was perfect. Just what she needed. So when Noel ran into her no more than an hour ago, he proceeded to make a complete mockery of her in public. Calling her an unfit mother. A drunk. Irresponsible. Anything he could think of really.

She got home from the store, tears streaming down her face, unpacked the groceries and went to get Parker from day care. She didn't need any more stress in her life. With her luck, Noel would use this against her in court even though not a word of it was true. Sure, she had been a bit tipsy, but had sobered up real fast after her run in outside the tavern.

Picking Parker up from day care was probably the only thing right now that could bring a smile to her face. Her little boy meant the world to her. She was sure she looked a mess and that other parents were probably staring but she didn't care. She just needed to see her son to reassure herself that everything would be alright.

"Momma!" Parker yelled as he saw his mother from across the room. Aria smiled as she bent to scoop up the tiny toddler.

"Hey, Handsome. How would you like to go to the park today?"

"Really?! Yah let go!" Parker yelled. Aria quickly put him in his parka and grabbed his backpack before leading him out to the car. It was moments like these that Aria was grateful Parker wasn't really good yet at picking up on her mood. She didn't want him involved in this mess with his father anyway. She had done a good job ensuring he didn't even know about Noel to begin with. The only part of this plan that Aria was waiting to backfire would be when he started asking about his dad. She figured she'd handle that though when they got there.

Pulling into the park, Parker started kicking his legs in an attempt to release himself from the child seat he was currently locked into. Aria couldn't help but laugh at his futile attempts. She walked around the car and released him from the contraption before locking the vehicle and taking his hand, leading him towards a plastic castle.

Suddenly, Parker released her hand and took off running towards the ladder leading up into the plastic castle. "Parker, be careful!" Aria yelled after him. She shook her head. He was getting so independent.

Sitting down on a bench just on the outside of the toy Parker was climbing into, Aria just let out a small sigh and tried to relax. Her night out had been well worth it. She hadn't done anything irresponsible and Parker had been looked after by her mom. She just had to keep repeating this to herself, maybe she'd believe it.

"Aria?" A voice called out from behind her. She turned her head to see who had called after her, but before she could see them, a yellow lab was in her lap licking her face. She giggled as she attempted to calm the puppy down. "Oh my god, I am so sorry!"

Ezra was suddenly in front of her wrangling the pup off of her and back onto a leash he was holding in his right hand.

"I didn't know you had a dog," Aria said as she wiped the puppy slobber off of her cheek and onto Ezra's pant leg when he took a seat next to her. He didn't complain.

"I didn't either. Until Hardy showed up at my apartment this morning with this little guy. Apparently he got him as a surprise birthday present for his fiancé. She was less than thrilled, so here we are."

Aria couldn't help but laugh as Ezra relayed his story to her. She could imagine Hanna doing the exact same thing. "Well he's very cute. What's his name?" she asked, scratching behind the dog's ears.

"He doesn't have one yet. Hardy didn't have a chance to name him before Amy said no and I have been completely busy trying to dog proof my apartment and buying him food and such. Did you know that puppies chew on _everything_? I probably have no loafers left for work, so come Monday, I might have to teach in slippers." They shared a few chuckles as they sat there in silence. "Are you ok? Something seems off…" Ezra quietly asked.

Aria ran a hand through her hair as she stared out at the playground. "I'm fine, just stressed. Life, you know?"

"Oh, trust me, I know," Ezra chuckled.

"Momma watch me!" Parker yelled out at Aria. He had made it to the top of the slide built into the side of the castle and waited anxiously for his mother to pay him attention before sliding down.

Aria clapped her hands and yelled out to her son, "Good job, Parks!" He giggled before running back around the castle to climb in again.

Ezra sat there in shocked silence. Aria nervously pet the puppy now lying between them before tucking a few stray hairs behind her ear. "So…."

"Yeah, I have a son. His name is Parker. I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Aria just about whispered.

Ezra shook his head. "Aria, I wouldn't tell a complete stranger that either. You're just being a good mom by protecting him." He smiled at her before lifting the dog, whom had now started to chew at Aria's jacket, and placing him on the ground.

Now it was Aria's turn to be confused. "So you're not mad? Or disgusted with me?"

"Why would I be mad or disgusted with you? It's perfectly reasonable for people our age to have children. He looks like an awesome little guy."

Parker chose that moment to come running over to the two of them. "Puppy! Momma can I pet him?!"

Aria looked quickly at Ezra. "You need to ask his Daddy, Parker."

"Excuse me mista, can I pwease pet your puppy?"

Ezra laughed a little before responding, "Of course!" Having received approval Parker sat down on the ground and started to pet the puppy who rolled over so the little boy could get to his tummy.

Aria turned back to Ezra and lowered her voice so that only he could hear her. "Parker is the greatest joy in my life. He is the result of an absolutely horrible relationship and I'm in the middle of a custody battle for him, but I would do anything for this little boy. I'm sorry that I've been so distant towards you, Ezra. It's just that I haven't been in a relationship since Parker's father." She looked down at her hands as she told him this, avoiding eye contact.

Ezra reached towards her to turn her chin up so he could meet her eyes. "With that kind of stress in your life, I don't blame you. Just know that I'm here for you. You have my number should you need anything. Anything at all, Aria."

She smiled softly towards him and was about to reply when Parker piped up from his spot a few feet away.

"What's your puppies name, mista?"

"He doesn't have one yet, a friend just gave him to me," Ezra replied, reaching down to scratch the dog's head.

"Wellz he looks like a Nemo!" Parker yelled out. "He's yellow juss like the fishy!"

Ezra laughed. "You know what? He does. I guess his name is Nemo."

"Ezra you don't have to-"

"Aria, his name is clearly Nemo. I just needed Parker to point it out," Ezra told her with an amused grin. Aria laughed and shook her head.

"We should get going. It was nice seeing you again Ezra, tell Hardy that I'll see him this weekend for the engagement photos," Aria said as she stood up. "Say goodbye to Nemo, Parks."

"Bye, Nemo! Bye mista!" The puppy gave Parker one last kiss before Aria scooped up her son and gave Ezra a small wave goodbye. So what if Aria had a kid? He now had a dog. How different could the two be? He watched them until they were no longer in sight, then headed back towards home with his new friend.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

_**EZRA**_

Months had gone by and seasons had melted into each other until it was suddenly summer. He had ran into Aria here and there but she never texted or called him. As much as he told himself not to get discouraged, that she would come around, he was honestly starting to worry that maybe she never would. Without warning, it was suddenly Hardy's wedding day. So here they were, fixing cufflinks and straightening ties in a tiny room off the back of Rosewood's one Catholic church. Hardy was the most nervous that Ezra had ever seen him and he found it just a little bit funny as he watched his best friend run around like a chicken with its head cut off.

"Hardy, Man, calm down," Ezra chuckled as he finished attaching the last cufflink on his shirt sleeve. He straightened his vest and reached around Hardy for his suit jacket. The one thing Hardy had gotten Amy to agree on for the wedding was the small wedding party. So it was literally just Ezra and Amy's maid of honor, her sister.

Hardy took a deep breath and shook his head, attempting to shake out his pre-wedding jitters. "I'm doing the right thing here, right? I mean, everyone eventually gets married. I didn't think I'd get married before you, though. And I had always assumed that I'd eventually get married because I knocked some chick up but this is the more respectable option, right?" He was babbling off questions that Ezra couldn't help but laugh at.

"Yeah, this is definitely the more respectable option. And you're ready for this. Shoot, I put on one of your cufflinks," Ezra replied as he started taking off the cufflink he'd just attached. There was a timid knock on the door and Hardy just about jumped out of skin at the noise. Ezra let out a laugh as his best friend calmed down enough to walk over and open the door.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but the bride has insisted that since I got pictures of her and the maid of honor getting ready, I had to snap a few of you two as well," Aria said as she made eye contact with Ezra from across the room. Hardy stepped aside so she could come in and closed the door behind her. "I won't take long, I promise."

Ezra flashed her a smile before responding. "Aria, it's fine. Maybe you can help me calm this guy down. He's about as nervous as I've ever seen him."

Aria snapped a few photos of Ezra putting on his cufflink and Hardy buttoning his vest as she replied. "That's completely normal. I once watched a groom get completely smashed before heading out to the altar. During his vows he stopped, turned to his best man and proceeded to throw up all over his rented tux," Aria told them, laughing.

Ezra's eyes quickly snapped to Hardy's. "Don't even think about it. No alcohol until the reception." Hardy just responded with a roll of his eyes. The door once again opened as the priest stuck his head in.

"If you gentlemen are about ready, we're set to begin."

"Let's do this thing," Hardy said before taking a deep breath and walking out.

Ezra turned to Aria before leaving. "Will you be at the reception later? I saw that Lucas is here as well, so I didn't know…"

"I'll be there. If we don't have two events going on, we both usually cover a big gig like this. It's easier to capture everything this way," Aria replied with a small smile. She took a deep breath before timidly asking, "Save a dance for me?"

Ezra's eyes widened in astonishment. Maybe she was finally coming around. "Absolutely, you can't leave before you get one." He gave her a small smile back and opened the door wide to allow her pass before he followed. _'Well, here we go.'_

"… Hardy came back to our dorm, covered head to toe in raw egg and feathers. I'll never think of chickens the same way ever again," Ezra laughed into the microphone. "In all seriousness, though, Hardy, you're starting down an incredible journey, one I'm sure will be filled with its own chicken stories. Keep on being you man, love your wife with that huge heart of yours, and remember to name your first born after me. Love you, Man." Ezra wrapped up his best man's speech and turned to hug Hardy before taking his seat as dinner was served.

"Thanks for everything you've done for me, Bro. I can't express how extremely grateful I am," Hardy told him as he took a sip from his champagne glass. "I'll make sure to return the favor when you get hitched."

Ezra gave him a small smile before responding, "I'll hold you to that." Ezra looked out into the crowd and quickly spotted Aria as she stood towards the back taking a few pictures of the wedding cake and gift table. Hopefully Hardy would be able to fulfill that promise one day.

The night seemed to fly by in a flurry of food, friends, music, and of course alcohol. Ezra kept a constant eye on his best friend to ensure he didn't get out of control, a favor to the bride, of course. Before he knew it, the DJ was calling all couples to the dance floor for the last song of the night. Ezra had yet to share a dance with Aria, but was unsure how she would respond to a couple's dance. He didn't need to worry about it, however, as he felt someone come to stand next to him at the bar. Looking over he caught Aria's soft smile and warm gaze, flashing her a smile in return.

"I believe that I was promised a dance…" she trailed off.

Ezra's smile grew even bigger as he took her hand in his and began to lead her to the dance floor. "You were and it would be my honor to share a dance with you." Wrapping his arms around her waist, he felt Aria start to fiddle with the short hairs at his nape when she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"_It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart. Without saying a word, you can light up the dark. Try as I may I could never explain, what I hear when you don't say a thing."_

Swaying gently to the music with Aria wrapped in his arms, Ezra couldn't erase the goofy smile from his face if he tried. He caught Hardy's stare from across the dance floor and his best friend flashed him a thumbs up before turning back to the dance with his wife. Ezra shook his head, laughing to himself.

Aria smiled up at him. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Hardy's just being Hardy," Ezra replied, smiling down at her. Aria suddenly seemed to get extremely nervous as she fidgeted with the collar of his shirt and diverted her gaze. "What's wrong? Are you ok?" Ezra asked with concern.

"You know, sometimes we make decisions that we wish we hadn't made and those choices cause us to miss out on some incredible opportunities. It's so hard to fix those mistakes once you've made them…" Aria whispered, staring off at a point beyond Ezra's shoulder.

Ezra knit his brow in confusion.

"It's just… I've been kicking myself for how I've treated you, Ezra. You've been nothing but incredibly kind to me and I've done nothing but give you a cold shoulder in return," Aria responded. She met his gaze and he could see the regret in her eyes, she truly felt sorry for how she had treated him.

Ezra reached up to smooth a stray curl of hair that was framing her beautiful face. "Aria, you have done nothing wrong. If I had felt any kind of animosity from you, I wouldn't still be waiting for you. I'm still here."

Those seemed to be the words that Aria was hoping she'd hear as a bright smile suddenly lit up her face. "Yes."

"Excuse me?" Ezra was beyond confused.

"Yes." He stilled their dancing for a moment to stare at her in complete confusion. "Yes, I will go on a date with you," Aria whispered.

It was Ezra's turn to bear a light shattering grin as he crushed Aria's small body into his own. He couldn't help but bury his face against her bare shoulder, and run his hand over her styled up-do as he let out a few laughs. He didn't think he'd ever been so happy in his entire life.

"So I'll take it you're happy then?" Aria muffled against his shoulder.

Ezra nodded his head in complete joy as he lifted his head to meet her gaze. "Absolutely. I've never been happier than I am right now." Nothing else was said as they stared into each other's eyes and swayed gently to the music.

"_You say it best, when you say nothing at all."_

As the song finished playing, Aria raised her hand to cup Ezra's check, running her fingers over the light stubble that had formed there. "I should get going; Lucas is waiting on me to help take pictures of the happy couple as they leave."

"Ok," Ezra replied in a low murmur. They didn't break from their embrace, instead standing still on the now empty dance floor.

"Can I call you? Or text you? Later, I mean. We can set up something then…"

"I've never stopped waiting. I'll continue waiting, now for that call. Goodbye, Aria," Ezra whispered.

She stood up on her tiptoes to press a light kiss to his cheek before responding. "Goodnight, Ezra." She left the dance floor to find her belongings and made her way to the exit, turning her head once to meet his stare and flash him a smile before disappearing into the night. Ezra shook his head and with a huge smile, went to wish his best friend farewell.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

_**ARIA**_

"Can you believe the quality of those clothes? I mean, come on! I don't understand why anyone in this town would spend their money anywhere other than at my store!" Hanna exclaimed as they left a small boutique located in the Main St. shopping district of Rosewood. Aria rolled her eyes at her friend's dramatic response. The clothing didn't seem that horrendous to her.

"Not everyone has your eye for design, Han. Look at it as a good thing," Emily chimed in, attempting to boost her friend's attitude.

It was a comfortable Saturday afternoon in late June, and the girls had decided to spend the day shopping, getting coffee, and generally just catching up on each other's lives. Aria was glad for the easy atmosphere that fell whenever she was with them. She hadn't yet texted Ezra, though two weeks had passed since Hardy's wedding. She honestly wanted the girl's inputs before she decided on anything.

Taking a sip from the coffee she held in her right hand, Aria decided now would be the opportune time to bring up the topic. "Hey, guys? You remember that best man I told you about, Ezra?" she asked as they walked down the crowded sidewalk.

"The guy who keeps asking you out and you keep turning down?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah, him. Well, I might have finally told him yes…" Aria trailed off, waiting for their reactions.

Hanna stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk, letting out an unhuman like squeal. "Aria! When? Why didn't you tell us? What did you say?!"

Aria let out a small chuckle. "Han, calm down. And I told him yes at the wedding he was a part of two weekends ago. We haven't set any details yet. To tell you all the truth, I'm not sure how it even happened. One minute we were dancing, the next… it just felt right. He feels right." Aria stared down at her coffee as they started walking again.

"This IS right, Aria. Wait… was he the guy who rescued you outside of that bar a few months back?" Spencer asked. Aria nodded her head. "Well, he is _cute_. I say go for it!" They all laughed at the enthusiasm radiating off of Spencer. "What?! Let me live vicariously through you! I barely see Toby with law school and all, so I need this right now! Don't be selfish, Aria!"

Aria laughed at Spencer's response, pulling the strap of her purse further onto her shoulder. "Well, he kind of has to wait on me to text him since he doesn't have my number. But what should I say? I don't want to come off too needy, or desperate, or-"

"Aria, you are none of those things, so stop worrying," Emily told her. "Keep it simple, just text him hi or something. Ask how he's been, tell him you've been thinking of him, etc. He really seems like he's into you, so I'm sure he'll be thrilled with anything you say."

"Yeah, but DEFINITELY let him plan the date. The first one is always the guy's responsibility!" Hanna chimed in. Aria's phone suddenly beeped in her bag. Digging it out, she saw that she had a text from her mom reminding her to pick up some juice boxes for Parker on her way over later.

"Is that him?" Emily asked, obviously forgetting the part about Ezra not having Aria's number. Aria shook her head no but before she could pocket her phone, Spencer was ripping the device from her hand.

"Spencer! What are you doing! Stop, give me back my phone!" Aria yelled, panic starting to set in. As much as she loved her best friend, there was no telling what Spencer would do.

"I'm just giving you a nudge, Aria. Chill out. We all know that you'll chew this over for days, worrying about nothing. There. Done." Spencer replied, handing her back the phone. Scrolling down to her text messages, Aria pulled up the most recent sends. Right at the top of the list was a text to _E.F._ It simply read _"Hi, this is Aria. How are you?"_

Nervously, Aria ran a hand through her hair. She didn't know if she was excited or not to receive a text back from Ezra. Before she could spend any more time thinking about what had just happened, her phone buzzed, indicating an incoming message.

"Is that him? Wow he doesn't waste any time does he?" Emily laughed.

"Well Aria wasted enough time playing with his feelings over the past _nine_ months, I'm surprised he even waited this long," Hanna shot back. Aria just rolled her eyes before opening the text.

"_Hey! I'm so happy to hear from you! I'm doing well, how about yourself?"-E.F._

The girls continued chatting as they made their way into a local coffee shop to refill their beverages. Waiting in line to order, Aria quickly typed out a reply.

"_I'm ok. Sorry I took so long to text you, I wasn't sure what to say…"-A_. She figured honesty was the best way to handle the situation with Ezra, she didn't want him thinking she hadn't wanted to text him or anything.

"_It's ok! I'm just happy to hear from you! Oh, and Nemo says hi!"-E.F._

Aria let out a small laugh at his reply, causing her friends to turn to her in confusion. "He's just talking about his dog, stop staring at me like I grew a second head," Aria replied with an eye roll. They made their way over to some couches at the far end of the coffee house and after sitting down, Aria returned to her conversation with Ezra.

"_Well, give him my greetings as well! Maybe we could all go for a walk sometime…"-A _There. She'd put herself out there. Her phone buzzed not more than a minute later and Aria nervously looked down at his reply.

"_Absolutely! But we need to go on a proper date first before any animals are involved. A gentleman never shares his lady right away!"-E.F._

Smiling, Aria typed out her response. _"What would that first date entail exactly?"-A_

"_Now I can't tell you that. You have to wait and see! Are you free next weekend? Maybe Saturday around six?"-E.F._

"_Sure, I'll just have to set up a sitter for Parker."-A_

"_Awesome, I'll pick you up then! Dress nicely but not too fancy!"-E.F._

"_Sounds perfect. See you then :)"-A_

Aria placed her phone back into her bag, glancing up at her friends whom had been staring at her during the entire exchange.

"Well?" Hanna whined.

"We're going on a date next Saturday at six. He won't tell me what we're doing though. I just have to make sure my mom can watch Parker…" Aria trailed off, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Let us watch him, Aria! That way we can come over, help you get ready, and then be there for all of the juicy details afterwards!" Spencer replied excitedly. The other two quickly agreed, pleading with Aria to accept their idea.

Releasing a small sigh, Aria replied, "Fine, but if we stay out too late, don't expect for me to want to stay up even later telling you guys everything that happened."

"Ok," they all responded, a bit too quickly for Aria to truly believe they'd uphold the promise. She settled back into the plush cushions of the couch and continued sipping at her coffee as her friends resumed whatever they had been previously talking about. She couldn't help but think of Ezra and their upcoming date. She'd been out of the dating cycle for so long that she was nervous she'd mess it up somehow. Knowing Ezra, though, she knew he would make the night perfect. That brought a small smile to her face and she turned back to join in on her friend's conversation. She decided that next Saturday couldn't come fast enough.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

_**ARIA**_

"Ok, purple or black?" Hanna asked, holding up two dresses for Aria to choose from. She was surprised that she was even allowed an opinion, as the girls had done her hair and make-up without listening to a thing she said. "You're right, black it is. Gotta go for sexy," Hanna replied, oblivious to the fact that Aria had not had a chance to say anything.

Aria was pushed into her bathroom with the dress and ordered to change quickly as Ezra was due to pick her up at any moment. After slipping the dress on and zipping it up, she turned to take in her appearance. She had to admit that she looked stunning. Her smokey make-up perfectly accented her facial features and matched the dark hue of her outfit. Loose tendrils of hair framed her face as the rest was pulled into a not-quite messy bun. She smiled and made her way back out to her friends.

Hanna clapped her hands upon seeing Aria. "Perfect, he is going to die when he sees you!"

"Whose gunna die, Momma?" Parker asked shyly from his spot on the floor. He had been busy playing with his trucks and cars as the girls helped Aria get ready.

"Nobody, Sweetie. Hanna's just joking," Aria answered her son, leaning down to place a quick kiss to his messy brown hair.

"Here, Aria. Put these heels on," Spencer told her, handing over a pair of black Jimmy Choos. Parker chose that moment to run out the door and down to his room.

Aria quickly pulled on the shoes before standing and grabbing her shawl from a chair in the corner of the room. "You guys don't think this is too much? He said nice but not fancy."

"Absolutely not, Ar. You look amazing," Emily answered her. They heard the pitter patter of tiny feet running back down the hallway until Parker reappeared in the doorway holding his black tie.

"Momma, can yous help me put tis on? We gunna match!" All of the girls couldn't help but laugh at the cuteness of the situation as Aria kneeled down to Parker's height.

"Parker, Honey, you're going to stay here and watch movies with your Aunties."

"But I wanna go!" He cried out, tears quickly filling his eyes.

Aria's heart broke as she watched her son work his way into a full blown tantrum. "Parks, you gotta stay here and watch your Aunts. They need you. Besides, they've been planning this night all week, they even brought popcorn and candy for your movie night. And I promise that tomorrow, if you've been good, I'll take you to that new ice cream store in town."

Parker immediately stopped crying. "Otay, Momma." The doorbell suddenly sounded from downstairs but before any of them could react, Parker was out of the room and down the stairs, reaching up onto his tiptoes to wrench open the front door.

"Hi there, Parker!" Ezra said to the little boy. All four girls watched from the top of the stairs as Ezra kneeled down to Parker and pulled a small plush bear from behind his back. "This is for you, Buddy."

Parker let out an excited squeal before grabbing the bear from Ezra and running into his arms. Ezra let out a small laugh as he returned the enthusiastic embrace.

"Awww," Hanna about cried. "That is _so_ adorable."

Making their way down the stairs, Ezra stood from where he had kneeled and nervously wiped his hands against his dress pants. He straightened his tie and reached back onto the porch for the flowers he had set down before greeting Parker. All of the girls stood to the side as Aria came to a stop in front of him.

"Wow, you look…" Ezra trailed off, at a loss for words. "… absolutely breath taking. These are for you, though they can't compare to the beauty you're radiating tonight." He handed her the flowers and watched as she took in their fragrance.

"Thank you," Aria responded with a small smile. Hearing a small cough from the girls, she turned to introduce them and hand over the flowers. "Guys this is Ezra. Ezra, these are my best friends Emily, Spencer, and Hanna. And you already know Parker."

"It's very nice to meet all of you," Ezra told them, nervously shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking back onto his heels. "I don't mean to rush us or anything but if you're ready… I made a dinner reservation at 6:15, so…"

Aria let out a small laugh before grabbing her purse. She bent to give Parker a small kiss and hug. "Be good for the girls, Parker. I'll be home later to say goodnight. Keep an eye on him, guys. And don't stay up." They all laughed at Aria's ridiculous request.

"Go. Get outta here. Have fun kids, don't do anything I wouldn't do," Spencer called out as they ushered the pair out the door. Aria laughed as she followed Ezra to his car, waiting as he opened her door and jogged around to climb into the driver's seat.

"So I hope you like Italian. I made reservations for us at that Italian Bistro on Sycamore?" Ezra asked as he pulled out into traffic. His nervousness was very obvious as he kept looking over at Aria and his grip was so tight against the steering wheel that his knuckles were white.

Aria flashed him a small smile. "That sounds lovely, Ezra." The rest of the ride was spent in silence until they pulled into the restaurant parking lot. Making their way into the restaurant, they were quickly seated at a table for two.

Ezra reached over to capture both of Aria's hands in his after the waiter had filled their wine glasses and take their order. "I'm so happy that you said yes, Aria. I promise that you won't regret this."

"I know I won't. And thank you," Aria responded. Ezra gave her a confused glance. "Thank you for breaking me from this shell I've been in for the past four years. I've never felt as comfortable with anyone as I do with you. I'm just sorry it took me this long to realize that."

Ezra gave her one of his famous boyish grins as their food was served not much later. The meal was spent making small talk, discussing their jobs, college experiences, and friends. Not once did Aria feel that awkward first date tension that she had expected to accompany the night out with Ezra. She was truly enjoying herself, so when their waiter brought their check, disappointment flooded her face at the prospect of the night coming to an end. Ezra didn't miss her look.

"I was hoping I could keep you for a little bit longer? That is if you're ok with the idea…" Aria quickly nodded her head and diverted her eyes as a small blush filled her cheeks. He flashed a grin her way as he pulled out a few bills and stood from his seat. He held up her shawl for her and wrapped it around her shoulders before they made their way towards the door. Once outside, instead of heading to the car as she had expected, he turned to cross the street towards the park. Aria noticed the number of people making their way towards the center of the park and was quickly confused as to what was going on.

Halfway across the street, Ezra timidly reached out to clasp Aria's hand in his. Seeing her resulting smile, he laced his fingers with hers and let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "When I was a kid, one my favorite times during the summer would be when my brother and I snuck into the drive-in movies. We would crawl under this worn out part of the fence surrounding the complex and sit hidden in the trees lining the parking lot. We couldn't hear anything being said, of course, as you needed a radio… but that made it even more fun. We could make up the stories as we wanted them to go. And I've always felt that there's something special about seeing a film whilst surrounded by nature. It's a completely different experience than sitting in a theatre," Ezra said to her as they walked.

"I've never been to a drive-in…" Aria mused, loving the picture that Ezra had painted in her head of the experience. "It sounds like a lot of fun though."

Ezra smiled warmly at her response. "I'm glad you think so. And I hope that you're not opposed to black and white films. I saw a poster for this a few weeks ago and was desperately hoping that you'd call me in time so that we could go together. I'm sure glad you did, I think you'll like this." As he finished his sentence, Aria saw a large outdoor screen being raised at the bottom of the hill they had reached in the center of Rosewood City Park. Stapled to a nearby tree was a copy of the poster Ezra had mentioned, advertising a screening of "It Happened One Night."

"Oh, Ezra… This looks amazing," Aria whispered. A huge smile filled his face as he went to rent a blanket for them to sit on from a nearby table.

They quickly found a place to sit and Ezra spread the blanket down before helping Aria to the ground. As the showing began, she couldn't help but feel like this had to be one of the best nights of her entire life. Absolutely everything Ezra had planned for their date was perfect, from the present he had bought for her son, to the romantic dinner and now to the outdoor movie. Sensing her thoughts were elsewhere, Ezra tore his eyes from the screen to catch her gaze on him. Taking her hand in his he lifted it to his lips to softly kiss her knuckles. The air suddenly seemed to thicken with rippling attraction and before Aria could comprehend what was happening, Ezra was slowly leaning towards her. The moment his lips touched hers, she felt as if time had stopped. She was so shocked by the moment that before she had a chance to respond, Ezra was pulling away with a look of complete regret filling his face.

"Aria, I am _so_ sorry. I don't know why I did that, it was too soon, I-" before he could continue with his ramble, Aria framed his face with both of her hands and crashed her lips to his.

Pulling away, she looked around embarrassed to have done such a thing, and in public no less! Ezra, unable to wipe the silly grin that he now bore, wrapped his arm around Aria's waist and pulled her tight to his side. He softly pressed a kiss to the top of her head. They turned their attention back towards the screen and continued to enjoy the rest of their night together, excited for the prospect of what was to come from their newly found relationship. Aria wasn't sure where they would end up, but she was finally determined to give Ezra a shot.

**Thank you all for your reviews, I greatly enjoy reading them! Make sure to keep reading and letting me know your thoughts!**


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

_**ARIA**_

"Soo… if we move the Johnson graduation pictures to Wednesday, we could probably… no there's that outdoor ribbon cutting ceremony at the courthouse Wednesday. Damn it!" Aria sighed in frustration, running a hand through her hair. She was currently flipping through their weekly calendar trying to find any openings possible.

Lucas chuckled from where he was sliding the last of Hardy's wedding pictures into their protective covers. "Ar, it's fine. Just call Mrs. Johnson and ask that the pictures be moved until next week. You know what, give me like… ten minutes to finish this and I'll do it. I'm the one who double booked us."

"Thanks, Lucas," Aria replied with a smile. She had been stressing about the double booking all afternoon.

"Here, I saved this picture for you," Lucas replied. Aria walked over to the table he was working at and picked up the photo he had slid in her direction. She hitched her breath looking at the picture perfect moment he had captured. There, in soft black and white, was a picture of her and Ezra sharing their one dance during the wedding reception. He was moving a piece of hair out of her face while she was cupping the back of his neck. Why had it taken her so long to see the depth of emotion shining brightly through his eyes?

"Thank you, Lucas. This is absolutely beautiful," Aria whispered.

"I didn't think Hardy would appreciate it as much as you, so yeah…" He replied, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. The bell above the door rang out as a man holding a bouquet of lilies and a clipboard entered the tiny shop.

"Excuse me, is there a… Ms. Aria Montgomery here?"

Confused, Aria walked around the desk to meet him. "Yes? That would be me?"

"I have a delivery for you. From a Mr. Ezra Fitz? Could you just sign here?" Taking the clipboard, Aria quickly scrawled her name before accepting the flowers.

"Boy, he doesn't miss a thing, does he? Dinner, movie, and flowers? He's a keeper, Ar," Lucas told her staring after the delivery man as he left the shop.

She laughed at his response before pulling the card from the vase.

'_I'll always be saving a dance for you, glad I waited – E'_

A huge smile overtook Aria's face as she read and reread Ezra's message. Lucas was right. He was doing everything right. She turned and placed the vase upon the countertop before picking up the photo she had forgotten momentarily. "Can you make a copy of this for me?"

"Sure thing, Aria," Lucas replied with his own smile. Her day had just gotten a whole lot better.

"Momma!" Parker yelled out as he raced into the store an hour later, followed closely by Spencer. "Momma, lookz at what I gotta do today!" He yelled out excitedly as he thrust a messy, finger painted picture in Aria's direction.

"Looks like somebody's had a good day," Spencer smirked as she eyed the flowers sitting on the countertop. Aria rolled her eyes in response before turning her attention to Parker's painting. From what she could make out, it was a large orangish-yellow blob next to another, smaller orangish-yellow blob.

"This is wonderful, Parks! Is it… a pumpkin patch?"

"No, Mommy! Itz Nemo ta puppy next to Nemo ta fishy! We had ta paint a animal," Parker squealed happily. "Cans we give it ta Ezra?"

Aria couldn't help but chuckle at her son's response. "Of course, Baby. You can give it to him next time we see him. I'm sure he'll be happy to hang it up on his refrigerator. Thank you again for picking him up from daycare, Spence. I owe you one."

Spencer waved Aria off as she hoisted her purse higher onto her shoulder before giving Parker a kiss to his messy hair. "It was no problem, Aria. I gotta get going, though. I promised Toby that I'd meet him for dinner. See ya later, Parks!" With that, she left the store, leaving Aria to start cleaning up before she could lock up for the day.

"I know that Hardy is supposed to swing by any minute now, but would you mind if I actually took off? I have to swing by the store for some baby formula on my way home and I'd like to avoid the rush if possible," Lucas asked, looking up from where he was boxing up the wedding pictures he'd been working on all afternoon.

"Yeah, that's no problem, Lucas. I'll wait for him and then lock up. Tell Bethany I said hello," Aria responded. She opened a package of crackers for Parker to munch on in her office as Lucas made his way out the employee entrance. Sighing, she smoothed down her son's hair and looked around to make sure all equipment had been put away and that the countertops were free of any film. The moment she sat down to wait on Hardy, he was pushing through the front door.

"Where's my favorite photographer?" Hardy called out. Laughing to herself, Aria walked out into the front room to greet him.

"Hey, Hardy. I'm almost certain that I'm the only photographer you know, so your point is moot," she chuckled. "Want to take a look at those wedding pictures?"

Rubbing his hands together, Hardy nodded. "Amy was supposed to meet me here after work so that we could finalize which prints we wanted, but she got held up at work. So would it be ok if we looked over everything but I took them home to discuss with her? I'll bring everything back, promise." He crossed himself and mock bowed, much to Aria's amusement.

"Sure." Aria started flipping through photos as Hardy watched on. He piped up every now and then with how great everything looked and how he was sure his wife would love their work. When she reached the last photo, Hardy reached over to give Aria a quick squeeze.

"Thanks so much for everything, Aria. These look amazing," He said with a smile. As Aria started to bag the pictures, Hardy nervously shoved his hands into his pockets and looked back towards where Parker sat in Aria's office. "Listen…"

Sensing the sudden seriousness in his tone, Aria looked up from what she was doing to meet Hardy's gaze.

"I've been best friends with Ezra since we were roomed together during college. I'd do anything for that man, anything. With that being said, it's my duty to warn you… don't break his heart. You're an amazing girl, Aria. I can see why he's so enamored with you. Just… you know… stay cool."

Aria couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you, Hardy. I wouldn't dream of hurting him, but I'm happy that you've got his back." She handed the bag of pictures over and followed him to the front door. "It took me a while to say yes to him, so I do take this relationship very serious. He's not the one I'm worried about getting hurt here."

Hardy opened the door before turning one last time to her. "You've got nothing to worry about when it comes to Ezra. Remember that. But if he should hurt you… well the same warning applies, just the other way around. See ya around, Aria." Hardy flashed her a smile before heading off down the street.

Sighing, Aria locked the front door before turning to lean against it. Nothing about her relationship with Ezra was going to be easy, that was for sure.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

_**EZRA**_

Knocking on Aria's front door, Ezra took a moment to take in the quaint atmosphere surrounding the neighborhood where she grew up. He could easily picture her as a little girl, riding her bicycle down the sidewalk or waiting for the school bus at the end of the driveway. This seemed like a perfect place to raise a family, so he could see why she would want to stay. The sound of the front door opening brought Ezra's attention back towards the house.

"Hey," Aria smiled at him as she let him into her home. She was currently putting in an earring and made to pick up a necklace she had discarded on a small table in the hallway.

"Here, let me," Ezra told her, moving to pick up the jewelry. Moving her hair off of her neck he softly clasped the necklace into place and pressed a light kiss to her hair. They had been seeing each other off and on for a few weeks now and as summer was drawing to a close, he thought that the perfect way to spend one of their last warm evenings would be down at the local town festival being held that weekend. This was also the first time all three of them had gone out together, so Ezra was a tad nervous.

The sound of tiny feet running towards him caused Ezra to turn his head towards the living room. "Eza!" Parker yelled out, launching himself at Ezra's khaki shorts, currently the only part of him that he could reach.

Ezra lifted the little boy into his arms, settling him onto his hip before pressing a similar kiss to his hairline. "Hey there, Buddy! You ready to eat some hot dogs?"

Parker furiously nodded his head in response. "Momma said I can even go on ta spinny car ride! But only if she goes wit me." Moving his face closer to Ezra's, Parker whispered, "But I'ze can't go wit a girl, Eza! It's not a girly ride! Will you take me?" Aria rolled her eyes as she listened to Parker whine about her rule. Grabbing her purse, they made their way out the door.

Ezra couldn't help but laugh at Parker's explanation. "Of course I'll go with you, Parks!" He mimicked Parker by leaning in closer and lowering his voice. "And don't worry, it is _not_ a ride for girls. I'm not sure they'd even let your Mommy on!"

Aria laughed as she nudged Ezra. As Ezra put Parker down so that he could walk, he gently clasped Aria's hand with his own. It was such a beautiful night outside that they had chosen to walk the short distance to the festival.

"Thank you for taking us tonight, Parker's been begging me all week," Aria told him, watching as Parker suddenly started running ahead when they got close enough to see the multitude of bright lights and hear the loud blend of fair noises. "Parker! Stay with us please!"

Parker slowed down and grabbed Aria's other hand. "Sowry, Mommy."

Ezra pulled out his wallet to pay their entrance before wrapping his arm around Aria's shoulder and leading them towards the food tents. "It's no problem, Aria. Hardy really wanted to go as well, but I thought you two would be _much_ better company," he answered with a chuckle. Aria replied with a large smile.

"Parker, Sweetheart, what would you like to eat? There's hamburgers, sausages-" Aria was quickly interrupted.

"Eza said I could get a hotdog!" Parker whined.

"Hotdogs it is," Aria replied with a smile.

Making their way towards a hotdog booth, Ezra turned towards Aria. "I think I saw vegetarian hamburgers at that station over there," he said pointing to a station a few booths down from where the hotdog booth was. "Would you like me to get you that while you get Parker his hotdog?"

Aria thought for a minute before responding. "No, you probably would like a hotdog as well. Why don't you wait with him while I go get that?" She started to pull out a few bills before Ezra started shaking his head and pulled out his own wallet.

"You don't honestly think that I'd _ever_ take money from you, do you?" Ezra asked her with a smile. "Here, we'll meet you by that lemonade booth in a few minutes." He handed her a couple of dollars.

Sighing, Aria reluctantly took the money. She had been on her own for so long now, that it was almost uncomfortable receiving any sort of help. She was surprising herself at all of the exceptions she was making for Ezra, however. "Sounds perfect."

As she walked away, Parker took Ezra's hand. They inched their way forward in line until they were finally at the front. Lifting Parker once again into his arms so that he could see the man taking their order, Ezra turned to read the menu board nailed to the back of the wooden booth.

"Hi, Sir. How can I help you?"

"Umm, just a second," Ezra muttered, scanning over the different options.

Parker started tugging at Ezra's collar. "I want a _long_ ones! Wit ketsup!"

Chuckling, Ezra turned towards the man inside the booth. "Could we get two footlong hotdogs, please?"

"Sure thing. Would you or your son like onions or relish with that? Condiments are over there," the man asked.

"Oh, he's not-"

"No, Eza! I not want tat yucky green stuff!" Parker cried out.

Ezra chuckled, choosing to overlook the man's mistake. "No thank you, just two plain hotdogs." Upon receiving the hotdogs and applying the necessary condiments, Ezra took Parker's hand once again and began leading him towards where Aria was now waiting for them with two large lemonades.

"Do you like your hotdog, Baby?" Aria asked with a laugh, watching as Parker got more of the hotdog on himself than in his mouth.

"Uh huh!" Parker replied with his mouth full of food. Ezra chuckled as he took a drink from Aria. They continued to walk around the festival, finishing their food and drinks and just generally enjoying the night. As the night came to an end, they found themselves taking one last ride on the Ferris wheel overlooking downtown Rosewood. Parker was perched in between the two of them, straining to see everything that he possibly could.

"Parker, be careful," Aria warned, nervously touching the back of her son's shirt when he strained to look out a bit too far and rocked the car they sat in. Ezra picked the little boy up and sat him in his lap so that he could see better, wrapping an arm protectively across his stomach. "Thank you," Aria mouthed towards him.

Ezra replied with a small smile. "Look, Parks, you can see your house from up here!" Pointing in the general direction of the house, Ezra knew that they couldn't actually see it but Parker didn't know that. He feverishly shook his head in agreement and started to whine in displeasure as they made their way back towards the ground.

When the car had safely reached the ground, Ezra made to help Parker off of the ride but the little boy pushed his hands away and stood to get out. "I can do it, Eza! I'm a big boy!" Without warning, Parker was suddenly falling out of the car and onto the gravel below. The little boy suddenly let out a cry so loud that Ezra wondered if it hadn't come from himself instead. He hastily shoved his way off of the ride and scooped the crying child up. Aria was by his side in a second, tears starting to form in her own eyes as Ezra maneuvered them off towards the side.

He brushed the stray gravel and dirt off of Parker's shirt as he looked for any sort of injury. Finding none, he carefully wiped the tears from the little boy's eyes and hugged Aria close to his side, releasing a large breath. "He's ok, he's ok," Ezra muttered, pressing the child to his chest and kissing Aria's head as she took a deep, calming breath.

"I think it may be time to go home now," Aria said with a shaky laugh. Ezra nodded in agreement, lifting the now exhausted little boy into his arms and leading her towards the exit. Aria was completely taken aback at how much Ezra cared for her son. She wrapped her own arm around his waist as they made their way home.

Ezra shook his head in bewilderment. Who would have thought that he would be this afraid after seeing a child fall? He honestly couldn't believe that this was his life right now. Everything that seemed important before he had met Aria and Parker now seemed insignificant, and he was absolutely sure that he would do anything for this small family.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

_**EZRA**_

He felt like absolute crud. His head hurt. His chest hurt. He had aches in places he didn't even know existed. Moaning to himself, Ezra turned over in bed and pressed his face into the cool side of the pillow he was currently lying on. After their night at the festival, Ezra was sure he had stressed himself to the point of sickness over Parker's fall. Aria had tried to reason with him that children fall all the time, that it was no big deal. But Ezra took it pretty hard. He should have helped Parker out of that car.

Releasing a rattling cough, Ezra pushed himself into a sitting position. He just needed to get moving, then he'd feel better. Besides, it was almost seven o'clock. School started at seven thirty, so he had to get moving if he wanted to make it on time. Getting to his feet, the room seemed to spin for a minute before Ezra dropped back to his mattress. Nemo, who had been lying on the floor next to the bed jolted up in surprise and quickly jumped up onto the bed to lick Ezra's face. He gently pushed the dog away.

Yeah, there was no way he was going to make it into work today. He felt around the blankets for his phone before calling the school secretary to inform her that he would not be coming in. He fell back onto the bed and let out a large groan when he heard his phone start ringing.

"Hello?" Ezra wheezed out. He heard the person on the other end suck in their breath before responding.

"Ezra? Are you ok? You don't sound so good…" Aria asked him.

He ran a hand over his face, feeling the stubble that had formed there over night. "I'm ok, Ar. I just seemed to have caught a cold or something. It's ok, I'll survive."

Aria seemed to process what he said for a moment before responding. "Well, I was planning on leaving you a voice message thanking you for the weekend at the fair. But it seems like you've decided to stay home since you answered your phone. That doesn't seem like you're feeling ok to me."

"It's just a cold, I promise. I just need to sleep it off." Ezra released a small sigh.

Aria didn't waste any time responding. "I'm on my way over."

"Aria-"

"No, Ezra. Parker's just been dropped off at daycare and we don't have much going on today at the shop anyway. You could use my help more, so I'm coming over. I'll be there soon." Before he had a chance to respond, she had hung up.

'_Great,'_ Ezra thought to himself. _'I need to shower before she comes over.'_ He closed his eyes for a second. _'Maybe in a minute or two…'_

He was awoken by a few sharp knocks at his door no more than a half hour later. Dragging himself off of the bed, he found himself releasing a few mucous filled coughs into his shirt sleeve as he opened the door.

Aria took one look at him before she pushed her way into the apartment, laden down with grocery bags and other various items. She set the bags down and pressed a hand to Ezra's forehead. "My god, Ezra. You're burning up. Here sit down, I want to take your temperature."

Ezra plopped down on his worn leather sofa, accepting the thermometer she placed in his mouth with little resistance. He chuckled a bit to himself at Aria's actions. She was a wonderful mother and it was definitely showing right now.

"98.9. Well, that's not too bad but it's a good thing I've brought Tylenol, soup, NyQuil…" She started running over the list of items she had brought over, pulling them out and placing them onto his coffee table.

"Aria," Ezra muttered. Seeing no response, he tried again. "Aria, Honey, calm down. I'm ok."

Aria flashed him a small smile. "I know. I just want to help you feel better," she said, placing a hand against his warm cheek. "Here, take some Tylenol and then lay back and try to sleep a bit. I've taken the day off and my mom said she'd grab Parker for me later, so I'm here for the day. I'll make you some soup while you sleep. I even brought along some movies to watch later."

Ezra smiled at her before resting his head against the arm of the couch. "I can do that." He was fast asleep a minute later.

_**ARIA**_

Sighing, she smoothed the hair off of Ezra's forehead before covering him with a blanket. Romantic relationships she didn't understand. Taking care of somebody who was sick? This she could handle. Slowly getting to her feet so as to not disturb him, she made her way towards his kitchen. She smiled upon seeing that Parker's artwork was the only thing proudly stuck to the front of Ezra's refrigerator.

Aria busied herself washing dishes and preparing the soup she had brought while Ezra slept. Suddenly, his phone let out a few shrill rings from somewhere amongst the covers on his bed. The dog sniffed around the blankets playfully as she dug around for a few seconds before finally finding the contraption. Seeing the screen, she saw that Hardy was calling and decided it would be safe to answer.

"Z, Buddy, listen. Tonight. You. Me. Beer. Whatcha say?"

Aria let out a quick laugh and scratched behind Nemo's head before she answered. "Hardy, this is Aria. I don't think Ezra will be going anywhere today. He's pretty sick."

"Oh, hey Aria! Well, tell Ezra that we'll have to reschedule. Don't let that guy fool ya, though. He can be a _huge_ baby when he's sick," Hardy said, laughing to himself.

Aria chuckled softly, glancing over towards the couch to see that Ezra was still fast asleep. "I'll pass the message along. We'll talk to you later, Hardy, bye." She hung up after hearing his quick goodbye. Glancing down at the dog that had now laid his head in her lap, she ran her hand a few times over his golden coat. "You're so lucky you didn't end up with Hardy after all, Nemo."

Ezra slept most of the afternoon, waking only to rattle off a few lengthy coughs and to eat the soup that Aria had prepared. Late into the afternoon, he finally pulled himself from his medicine induced haze long enough to take a shower. Aria was cleaning up his living room when he emerged from the bathroom.

"Aria, you don't have to clean up after me as well. Just leave it, I'll straighten the place up tomorrow," Ezra told her as he ran a towel through his damp hair. He was actually feeling a lot better. The pounding in his head had subsided and he was slowly regaining the ability to breathe through his nose. Dropping onto the sofa, he held an arm out to her. "Come 'ere."

"Oh, no, I'm not getting sick," Aria laughed. Ezra reached out to pull her down next to him before she could get away. Laughing she cried out, "Ezra!"

"I'm feeling a _lot_ better! Thanks to you," he replied, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. She laughed before pushing him away.

"Are you sure? Word on the street is that you can turn into a bit of a baby when you're sick…" Aria replied smirking.

"Lies! I do not! Who told you that, Hardy? Well, I could tell you a few things about that guy," Ezra replied in fake anger, grabbing a tissue to quickly dab at his nose. "Listen, thank you so much for coming over and helping me, Aria."

"It was nothing, Ezra. Really," Aria replied softly. She snuggled herself into his side, pressing her face to his shoulder as she turned her attention back towards the movie that she had started while he was in the shower. A few quite moments passed and Aria felt herself fully relaxing into the embrace of the man wrapped around her.

"I think that I'm falling in love with you," Ezra whispered.

Aria quickly shot her head up from his shoulder. "What?"

Ezra cleared his throat before looking anywhere but at her. "I mean… I…"

Aria gently cupped his cheek to look at her. "Hey, look at me. I don't want you saying that because you're drowsy on cold medicine, Ezra. And please, don't feel like you have to say it to me or anything."

"Aria," Ezra replied softly. "I love you. And this isn't the cold medicine talking, or some feeling of owing you for taking care of me. This is me. And I can tell you with absolute confidence that I am in love with you."

Without caring about catching his illness, Aria passionately pressed her lips to his, allowing a large smile to overcome her face. Things were working themselves out between her and Ezra. She was slowly allowing him to wedge his way into her life and she would forever be grateful for the large impact that he had already made. Before she got too caught up in the moment she pulled back from the embrace and shot a quick glance to the clock hanging on the wall.

"Shoot, I need to get going. I told my mom that I'd be home in time for dinner. Will you be ok? Is there anything I can get you before I go?"

Ezra shook his head. "I'll be fine." He lowered his voice to whisper, "I'll miss you though."

Aria smiled softly before responding. "I'll miss you too, but I'll call you later?" She stood and gathered her things as she made her way towards the door.

"I look forward to it. Talk to you later, Aria. And thank you," Ezra replied. She flashed him one last smile before quietly closing the door behind her.

**Reviews entice me to write more, just sayin' :) love y'all!**


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

_**EMILY**_

"Ok, our anchor for today's meet will be… Jessica!" Emily shouted out to the girls. She served as head coach for the Rosewood women's swim team during the swimming season, but that wasn't her full time job. Outside of the small high school, Emily spent most of her time as a personal swimming coach, helping to train girls for prestigious swim meets, even the Olympics. Life had thrown a wrench in her plans for her own gold medals when she tore her rotator cuff back in high school. She hadn't let that stop her from keeping swimming as a big part of her life, though, and she loved both of her jobs.

Seeing that her girls were significantly pumped up for the meet, Emily began leading them out of the locker room and towards the pool. Passing the ticket table, she saw Ezra purchasing three tickets and she stopped to greet him. "Hey, Ezra! I didn't know you were coming out today! Where's Aria?"

Ezra turned at the sound of Emily's voice and smiled at her before responding. "Oh, she took Parker into the restroom. And it's my honor to come watch your swim meet, I've actually been trying to come to one since I started teaching here but it never quite worked out."

"Well, I'm glad you're here now," Emily replied. She took a quick look around before stepping closer to Ezra and lowering her voice. "Listen, I do have to say something real quick…"

Ezra looked at her in confusion before tilting his head to the side, indicating that he was listening. In the short time that he had known Aria's friends, Emily seemed the most shy, so this definitely surprised him.

"Aria- she's in a delicate place in her life right now. This thing with Parker and Noel has really messed with her head. I know that he's given up temporarily on the custody situation, but I have a feeling that won't last too much longer. Just be careful with her. She really needs someone like you in her life right now but… you can't be a temporary relationship… you realize that right?"

A warm smile slowly came over Ezra's face. "I would never dream of being a temporary relationship for her. This is an all or nothing situation for me, Emily. And that little boy means the world to me, so don't worry. I'm here for as long as she'll have me… and I plan on fighting for her long after that as well."

That seemed to relax Emily a bit as she smiled in return. "Ok, I just had to make sure. Well, thank you so much for coming out today and tell Aria that we should all grab dinner afterwards." Nodding his head in reply, Ezra gave her a small wave as she left to go rejoin her team.

_**ARIA**_

She was just stepping out of the restroom, her hand firmly clasping Parker's, when she spotted Ezra waiting by the ticket table. She smiled at him and they made their way over to where he stood. Parker immediately let go of her hand and ran towards Ezra the second he saw him, carrying the teddy bear that Ezra had gotten him months ago. He couldn't seem to go anywhere nowadays without it. Leaning down, Ezra scooped the little boy into his arms, resting him on his hip, and the three of them made their way into the natatorium.

"Are you excited to see the swimmers, Parks?" Ezra asked him as they climbed into the stands and found a seat. He sat Parker on the other side of Aria before leaning back against the row behind them and propping his feet up.

Nodding his head, Parker replied, "Yah! Aunt Em is rweally good! She's gonna teatch me how ta swim tis summer!" Ezra chuckled in reply, rubbing Aria's back gently.

"You know what? I forgot my cell phone out in the car, I'll be right back," she told him. Ezra sat up and moved slightly to let her through before pulling Parker between his legs as they waited for his mother to return.

Aria joined them again not more than five minutes later, her phone clasped in her right hand. No sooner had she sat down, the phone started ringing. Aria clicked on the receive button without checking the caller ID. "Hello?"

"_So you think that you can just replace me in Parker's life with some random man you just met?" _Noel growled down the phone at her. _"I let some family members convince me that I didn't have a shot in hell at gaining custody of him, but I've come to my senses and this is all about to end."_

Gulping, Aria straightened up and nervously ran a hand through her hair. Noticing the change in her posture, Ezra sat up and placed his hand firmly on her back, letting her know he was there. "Listen, I-"

"_I don't want to hear your petty excuses, Aria. Parker is my son as well. I may not have been ready to be a father when you got pregnant but I'm ready now. You've done a fantastic job of keeping my son from me but don't worry, you're going to know how it feels soon enough," _Noel hissed. With that, he hung up on her.

Tears had pooled in Aria's eyes as she took a few breaths, trying to calm herself down. The sounds of the swim meet seemed to fade into the distance as her anxiety took prime focus over everything around her. Before Ezra could comprehend what was happening, she was packing up her purse and lifting Parker into her arms. "I'm sorry, Ezra, but I've got to go. Something just came up," she almost cried, nervously lifting Parker onto one hip and her purse onto her remaining shoulder.

Confused, Ezra stood and lifted Parker from her arms to help her carry him. He quickly followed her out of the school and into the parking lot. Seeing as Aria had driven the three of them there, he would be stranded if she left him. A few parents standing outside of the doors gave them a few annoyed glances as they brushed by, not caring for who they ran into. "Aria? What's going on? Who was that?" Aria could see the worry in his eyes as he followed them to her car.

She quickly brushed a few stray tears from her eyes as she unlocked the car. Ezra gently placed an upset Parker into his car seat and Aria began to buckle him in. "No one, I just… I gotta go. Can you find a way home? I'm sure Emily won't mind giving you a lift." She shut the door before climbing into the driver's seat.

Ezra shook his head, leaning in to see her tear streaked face through the driver's side window. "I'll be fine, Aria. I'm just worried about you right now."

Parker was starting to get upset as well as he picked up on his mother's mood, and from the fact that he had been ripped away from the swim meet so unexpectedly. He began kicking his feet out and started pulling at the straps holding him in to the car seat. "I don't wanna go, Momma! I'ze wanna stay wit Eza!" he cried.

Aria started the car, trying her best to ignore the desperation in her little boy's voice. "I'm sorry, Baby, but we have to go. We'll come to a swim meet another time. Say goodbye to Ezra."

Parker kicked out a few last times before finally giving up. "Bye, Eza," Parker whispered dejectedly from the back seat, pressing his hand to the glass separating them and hugging the bear tightly to his chest.

Ezra pressed his hand over Parker's. "Bye, Buddy," Ezra replied just as sad. He looked at Aria and reached through her open window to turn her chin gently, forcing her eyes to meet his. "Please don't shut me out, Aria. I know that you need your space right now but you know that I'm here for you, right? That I would do anything you need?" She nodded her head softly in reply. "Call me later?" he almost begged.

She took a deep breath before answering. "Goodbye, Ezra." He didn't miss the fact that she hadn't answered his question. With that, Ezra watched as she pulled out of the parking lot, leaving him in complete shock as to what had to just happened.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

_**EZRA**_

It had been over a week since Ezra had last heard from Aria. He was worried beyond belief but he could tell that she needed her space right now. It wouldn't help to be overprotective; Ezra had a feeling that it would actually just push her further away. So he waited, as much as it killed him to do so.

They had only been seeing each other for a little over two months now but this time apart was eating Ezra alive. He felt like a giant part of himself was missing. Well, it wasn't missing exactly. He knew exactly where it was, about a five minute drive East of his apartment to be precise. He tried calling her once, but hung up before she had answered. She had to come to him, that would be best for all involved.

Sighing quietly, Ezra stood up from where he had been dwelling in a state of self-loathing and called for his dog. "Come on, Nemo. Let's go for a walk." After donning his shoes and jacket, the pair made the short walk to Rosewood City Park. The handful of children running around enjoying the beautiful afternoon tore at Ezra's heart. The atmosphere just made him think of Parker. He turned to head out of the park, unable to deal with the happy families milling around him, when he heard someone call his name.

"Ezra?" It was said so softly that Ezra thought he had imagined it. Turning back towards the park, however, he spotted Aria standing no more than fifteen feet away, next to a jungle gym where he could see Parker climbing. Without a second thought, Ezra strode towards her and enveloped her in his arms, pressing his face into the loose curls framing her neck.

"I've missed you," he whispered quietly. "So much."

"Oh, Ezra… I've missed you too," Aria replied, lifting her head from his shoulder to see his face. She brushed a few tears from her cheek and sat down heavily on a nearby bench.

Taking his place next to her, Ezra gently picked up her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, all the while keeping hold of Nemo's leash with his other hand. "I tried calling you…" he trailed off.

"I know, I saw the missed call. I'm sorry about what's happened here," Aria responded, looking down at their joined hands in her lap.

"What exactly has happened here, Aria? I mean, one minute we're enjoying the swim meet… the next you're packing up and leaving me standing alone in the parking lot. I don't mean to press if you're not ready to share, it's just that-"

"Ezra," Aria cut him off, smiling slightly. "You're babbling again." Looking towards where her son was currently playing tag with some other children, she decided that he deserved to know about the Noel situation, especially if he was to be a part of her and Parker's lives.

"I know that I told you a little about the situation with Parker's father, Noel. But I never told you the whole story," she took a deep breath before continuing. "When I was in high school, I had this massive crush on Noel. He was star quarterback of the football team, handsome, and every girl fawned over him. So when he started talking with me and basically showed any interest, I gave up being me in order to have him. I turned into one of those girls that drops everything to meet her boyfriend, ignores her friends and family and is ultimately consumed by nothing but him. Noel was sweet and very nice when we started dating, I even followed him to State College after graduation when he was offered a football scholarship. Being away from Rosewood, though, changed him completely. He started ignoring my texts, going to parties and not inviting me, even hanging out with other girls. When we were together he... he tended to push me around a bit. I started to give him space because I thought that maybe I was suffocating him. One night he came to my apartment, drunk as all get out, and told me how much he loved me. How much he couldn't live without me. One thing lead to the next and a few weeks later I found out that I was pregnant," Aria brushed a few tears from her cheek as she told Ezra her story. He tied the dog to the leg of the bench before wrapping his arms around her and pressing a couple kisses into her hair.

"I was scared, Ezra," Aria whispered. "I was twenty years old and pregnant. Not knowing what to do, I invited Noel over for dinner and told him about our situation. He lost it, telling me that I had taken advantage of him when he was drunk. That I had planned this to keep him around when I knew that our relationship was going nowhere. He told me that he wasn't ready to be a father and that the situation was mine to deal with, to leave him out of it. He left my apartment and the next day I packed up my things, moved back to Rosewood and finished my fine arts degree at Hollis. I didn't hear from him again until last year, actually just before I ran into you. He had decided he was ready to be a father now and he wanted to be a part of Parker's life. I told him that it was him who had walked out on us, that his son didn't know who he was because he had decided that he didn't want to be around. Noel didn't like my response so he shoved me a couple times, not enough to actually hurt me, but enough to shake me up and threatened me saying that he would get the best lawyers money could buy in order to take Parker from me. I can't lose him, Ezra, I just can't. I know that I haven't been the most perfect mother but my little boy is my whole world."

Aria broke down at that point, sobbing into Ezra's shoulder as he crushed her to him. He whispered soothing words into her ear and ran a soft hand up and down her back until her crying subsided into nothing more than a couple hiccups.

"Aria listen to me," Ezra said, turning her head up so that she could see him. "You are an absolutely FANTASTIC mother. I don't know much about how custody cases work, but I do know that you being there for every part of Parker's life shows how much you love him. A judge will see that. Along with your steady income and the support structure you've built with your family and friends, I don't see how Noel has a shot in hell at taking Parker from you." Ezra wiped the last of her tears away before continuing. "You are the most courageous, strongest woman that I know. Parker is the luckiest kid in the entire world to have you as a mother, don't ever think anything less of yourself."

Aria wasted no time in crashing her lips to Ezra's. Instead of running as fast as he could from her and Parker, as she had thought he would, he was telling her that he loved them. He loved them way too much to ever leave or even think about it. She pulled back after a couple of moments and reached into her purse to retrieve a tissue to clean up her face.

"Thank you so much, Ezra. Thank you for looking at me the same way you did yesterday… or last week rather," she smiled.

Ezra leaned in to place a soft kiss on her lips before responding. "I love you, Aria. Nothing you just said changes that."

Aria reached over to brush his messy hair away from his forehead. "I love you too, Ezra," she whispered.

A large grin came over Ezra's face and he couldn't help but to place a series of quick kisses against her mouth, hugging her to his side. Minutes later, Parker came running over to them, completely unaware of the moment the two of them had just shared.

"Eza! And Nemo!" he yelled excitedly. With little more than a glance in Ezra's direction, Parker threw himself at the year old dog. Gleefully laughing as Nemo joyfully licked his face. "I'ze missed you, Nemo."

"Hey, what about me?" Ezra asked in mock hurt. Aria laughed at the playful banter between the two.

"I missed you too, Eza, don't worry!" Parker replied, standing up and allowing Ezra to pick him up from the ground, pressing a kiss to his hairline after he had settled him into his lap. "Guess what, Eza?"

Ezra chuckled at the little boy's lisp. He would miss these days, that was for sure. "What's that, Parks?"

"Momma, promised to take me for pizza after ta park! Will you come wit us?"

"Absolutely, I mean…" shooting a glance in Aria's direction. "That is if your Mommy wants me to come."

Aria started to pack up their things, allowing Ezra to stand with Parker on his hip and Nemo's leash in his other hand. "We can't go get pizza without Ezra, now can we Parker? I'm glad we found him." With that, the three of them made their way out of the park and back towards town.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

_**ARIA**_

After her run in with Ezra at the park last weekend, Aria had done everything in her power to reconnect with him. She wanted to make sure that he knew she didn't doubt their relationship, that her feelings for him were as strong as ever. It was just herself that she doubted. Throwing the last load of laundry into the washer, she started a new cycle before grabbing the basket of freshly dried clothes and making her way towards the living room. Before she got there, however, a few short knocks sounded from the front door.

'_It's probably just Ezra,'_ Aria thought with a small smile, moving to answer the front door.

"Hey there, Big Sis!" Standing on her porch was one person she hadn't expected to see, her younger brother, Mike. A large smile graced Aria's features before she dropped the laundry basket she had been holding and pulling her brother into a bone crushing hug.

"Mike! What are you doing here?! Aren't you supposed to be at school?" Aria asked in disbelief. She moved aside so that her brother could make his way inside, toting along an overnight duffel bag as he did.

"Fall break, remember? It technically doesn't begin until Friday, but I decided to get an early start, what's a day anyway?" he smirked. "Kinda weird having to knock at the front door of the house I grew up in…" he thought out loud. Shrugging his shoulders, he answered his own thought, "Whatever."

"Unca Mike!" Parker yelled, running full force down the stairs from his bedroom. He launched himself into Mike's arms and let out a delighted giggle as Mike spun him around.

"Hey there, Munchkin! When you gonna get taller, huh?" Mike asked him playfully.

"Eza says I getting _very_ tall!" Parker shot back.

Mike raised his eyebrows in question towards Aria. "Ezra, huh? And who's this?"

"Later, Mike," Aria warned. She wanted to tell her family about Ezra, she just didn't want to have to explain the relationship in front of her four year old son.

Mike rolled his eyes in reply before turning back towards Parker. "You ready for our camping trip, Bud? I bought all kinds of smores supplies and hot dogs!"

"Oh, shoot!" Aria exclaimed. She had completely forgotten about the camping trip. Last year Mike had taken Parker camping for a couple days in order to have some "male bonding time." Spencer had heard of it and thought it was a brilliant idea so she had roped Toby and Caleb into going along as well. Parker didn't have too many blood relatives, so she wanted to make sure he had as many non-blood aunts and uncles as possible. The weekend had been a huge hit and Mike declared that it would be an annual event.

"You forgot, didn't you?" Mike asked in exasperation. He hoisted Parker onto his shoulders before heading into the kitchen to rummage through the fridge and cabinets for some food.

Following him, Aria replied, "I did forget, but it's not a problem. We don't have any plans this weekend anyway. I'll pack his stuff later." Mike nodded his head in acknowledgement as he threw some popcorn up towards Parker to catch in his mouth. The little boy obviously didn't catch it but he picked the popcorn out of Mike's hair and shoved them into his mouth.

The front door suddenly opened as Aria heard someone hit their leg against the basket she had dropped. "Aria- oww, dang it... Aria?" Rounding the corner, Aria found Ezra rubbing his shin while holding a bag of Chinese takeout. He quickly straightened up and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Hey! I brought some lunch! Parks likes orange chicken, right? I got a bunch of stuff, though, in case he doesn't."

Mike came out from the kitchen to see what the commotion was about. He saw Ezra and quickly turned in confusion towards Aria who had started running her hand through her hair nervously.

"Eza!" Parker exclaimed from his perch atop Mike's shoulders. Ezra smiled up at him before looking at Mike.

"Hi there! I'm Ezra," Ezra responded with a looking mirroring Mike's. He stuck a hand out for him to shake.

Aria looked between the two for a second before making the introductions. "Mike, this is Ezra. Ezra this is my brother, Mike."

A relaxed smile formed on Ezra's face as he shook Mike's hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Mike. I didn't know that Aria had a brother."

Mike let out a small chuckle. "Well, funny thing then, 'cuz I didn't know Aria had a boyfriend."

A blush covered Aria's cheeks as she took in what Mike had just said. She and Ezra had yet to discuss labels and she was hesitant as to what he really was in her life, boyfriend seemed too juvenile. He didn't jump in to correct Mike, however, so Aria let it go.

"Mike's a junior down at Hollis College, he's studying architecture," Aria quickly jumped in.

"Yeah, I'm hoping that when I graduate that Spencer's boyfriend, Toby, will offer me a spot on his construction crew," Mike replied.

Ezra smiled at him before responding. "Well, that's awesome! I graduated from Hollis as well! Hey, I brought along a lot of food, why don't you join us for lunch?" Nodding his head in agreement, Mike followed Aria and Ezra back towards the kitchen where they busied themselves dispersing the food onto plates. Conversation fell easy enough and they even found themselves sharing a few drinks after the meal in the living room.

The afternoon quickly turned into evening and before Ezra knew it, Parker was asleep on the floor at his feet.

"I better get him to bed," Aria said, bending down to lift Parker into her arms. She made her way up the stairs, leaving Ezra and Mike alone.

Staring into his drink, Ezra attempted to restart the conversation they had momentarily forgotten about. "So how long are you going to be in town, Mike?"

Lifting his shoulders, Mike responded nonchalantly. "Eh, break's only three days so probably just until Sunday evening. I'm taking Parker camping though tomorrow night through Sunday afternoon so I actually won't be here be here. "

"That sounds like fun," Ezra replied, taking another small sip of his whiskey. "I haven't been camping since I was probably his age."

"Why don't you come with us then? It's going to be a bonding time for us bros, Toby and Caleb are coming along as well. It'll be fun," Mike told him.

Ezra thought over it for a minute or so. "You know what, that does sound like fun and I'd love to come. Fair warning though that I am an absolutely _horrible_ cook, so don't let me help with any meals."

Mike laughed in response before throwing back the rest of his drink and standing. "Fair enough. Toby's our master chef anyway. Well, it's getting late so I'm gonna hit the sack. We're going to leave here tomorrow around 6, if that works for you?"

"Sure thing, I'll be here," Ezra stood to shake Mike's hand and wish him a goodnight. Aria chose that moment to descend the stairs, coming to rejoin Ezra in the living room.

"Mike headed to bed?"

"Yeah," Ezra answered her, taking her into his arms and falling back onto the sofa. He quickly attached his lips to hers and started moving them across her chin and down her neck.

"Ezra," Aria moaned. She pulled away slightly, but not before giving him a light kiss. "My son and brother are right up stairs. Some other time?"

Ezra smiled at her to ease her nervousness. "I'll be waiting." They laughed at their inside joke before turning to cuddle for a little while. "So your brother invited me along for the camping trip this weekend…." Ezra told her softly.

Aria turned in his arms so that she could see his face. "Oh yeah? And what'd you say?"

"I told him that it sounded like fun, I'll be there. Just wait until he sees me and a tent, I practically invented the thing," Ezra joked.

"You men," Aria laughed, turning back around so that Ezra could pull her into his chest. "I'm actually really happy that you're going. Keep an eye on Parker for me, will you? Last year Mike let him bait a fishing pole by himself and he came home with more than one laceration from the hooks."

"You know I will," Ezra said, pressing a light kiss to her head. "You know I will."


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

_**EZRA**_

"Dammit!" Mike called out as he burnt himself with the lighter he was currently using to try and start a campfire. Rubbing his hand against his jeans, he sighed in frustration before picking up another piece of paper to try again.

"Unca Mike, you says a bad word!" Parker exclaimed from the ground where he sat a few feet away, petting Nemo. He was helping Ezra set up the tent, well more like just keeping him company really. "Eza tell Unca Mike not ta say bad words!"

Ezra chuckled as he pounded the last stake into the ground before standing. "Mike, you heard the man. No bad words."

It was around 7pm and after driving for almost an hour, the guys had found the campsite where they'd be spending the weekend. Toby and Caleb, having just met Ezra, made sure to be extra nice and welcoming, offering to unload the trucks and gather fire wood while Ezra and Mike set up camp.

Mike let out a triumphant huff as the campfire suddenly jumped to life. "There ya go, munchkin! I man. This fire." He pounded his chest a couple of times in a weak Tarzan imitation, making Parker laugh before he ran off, chasing Nemo towards the edge of the lake that they were next to.

"Parker, be careful! Don't go in the water, please!" Ezra called after him.

Mike, grabbing some kindling, turned to stoke the fire. "You're pretty protective of him, aren't you?"

Ezra rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah, I guess. I just-"

"Ezra, I'm not scrutinizing you or nothing. Just calling it as I see it," Mike said smiling at him.

Ezra returned the smile as he shoved his hands into his pockets and looked back in Parker's direction. He had promised Aria that he would look after him. Even if Aria hadn't asked, that was what he planned to do. Caleb and Toby emerged from the trees carrying a handful each of firewood. They dropped the logs next to Mike before Caleb dropped ceremoniously into one of the fold up chairs they had brought along. Toby began unpacking the various cooking utensils, whistling a few off-tune country songs.

"So, Ezra, what exactly is it that you do again?" Caleb asked. He turned to dig a water bottle from the cooler that they had brought along.

"I teach English over at Rosewood High. Just started my third year," Ezra answered. He took a seat next to Caleb and pulled Parker into his lap when he came running up a few minutes later. Nemo collapsed in a huffing heap at Ezra's feet.

"That's awesome. We all graduated from Rosewood. Mr. Meyers still there?" Toby asked from where he was setting up some kind of cooking pot attached to a tripod over the fire.

"Yeah, he's still there. Nice guy. Though he could lay off the cologne just a bit," Ezra replied with a chuckle.

Toby let out a small laugh. "Yeah, I remember that. He was his own walking fumigator..." Ezra relaxed into his seat, holding tightly to Parker as he let the evening fall. The conversation was always easy, there never seemed to be any tension or uneasiness that he was aware of. As it turned out, Toby was an excellent cook. He put together some kind of chili that they could pick at and let simmer all weekend.

As night fell, the boys found themselves cooking marshmallows and making smores as they attempted to sing some childlike camping songs for Parker's amusement. Ezra laughed as he listened to Mike make a few inappropriate comments during a refrain of 'On Top of Spaghetti.'

"Eza, whats tat mean?" Parker asked innocently, tilting his head back so he could stare up at him.

Ezra shot a playful glare in Mike's direction before answering him. "It means that your Uncle Mike doesn't know the song and has to make up lyrics, Parker."

"Oh! Unca Mike I can teach you!" Parker shouted, moving to leave Ezra's lap.

Mike laughed, shaking his head. "You can teach me tomorrow when we go on our hike, Parks. Sorry for ruining your song." They all turned back towards the fire and lost themselves in its blaze for a few moments.

Ezra suddenly felt his phone buzz in his pocket, indicating that he had a text message. Shifting Parker to his other leg, he fished the phone from his pocket and smiled at seeing Aria's name in his inbox.

"Look, Parker. Your mommy's texted us," Ezra told the little boy, pointing at the screen.

Excitedly, Parker grabbed the phone and pressed his face almost completely against the glass in an attempt to see what it said. Unable to read though, he handed the phone back to Ezra. "What's it say, Eza?"

Ezra pulled open the message before reading it quickly.

'_Hey! Just seeing how you and Parker are doing! Are you enjoying the trip so far? Love you'-A_

Ezra pressed a soft kiss to the side of Parker's head. "She's just checking in on us." He typed out a quick reply before pocketing the phone.

Parker was laying his head against Ezra's chest soon after, closing his eyes in exhaustion. "Eza, I'm tired, is it bedtime yet?"

Ezra stood with Parker in his arms and turned towards the other three men. "I'm going to lay him down for the night, I'll be right back." They nodded their heads in acknowledgement and watched as Ezra made his way into the tent, Nemo rising to follow. Returning a few minutes later, he was greeted with a cold beer from Caleb as he sat down.

"Thanks," Ezra told him, taking a long draw as he stared into the fire. All was quiet for a while as they sat there enjoying the sounds and smells of nature.

Caleb spoke first as Mike got up to add another log to the fire. "That boy adores you, Ezra. You see that, right?"

Ezra smiled down into his beer as he replied. "I adore him more, I can assure you of that. That little guy is amazing."

Mike sat down in the chair to Ezra's right, poking the fire a couple times with a stick he had found earlier. "Good. Just don't do anything to hurt him or my sister and we won't have any problems," he said, nudging Ezra gently in the side with a smile.

Ezra let out a short laugh. "Don't worry, I've been well warned." Seeing their confused gazes, he answered their unasked question. "Emily." All of the guys seemed to accept that as the obvious answer and just shook their heads in amusement.

"This thing with Noel, it's a mess," Mike suddenly said. "He's got Aria so wrapped up in her own head that she thinks this whole situation is her fault." He shook his head in disgust. "And to think that I used to actually be friends with that guy."

Toby reached over to pat Mike on his back. "It's ok, bro. We all make mistakes. And you know that Aria is well looked after. None of us are going to let that guy near her or Parker."

As the guys started joking around and burning the midnight candle, Ezra found he greatly enjoyed their company. Hardy was really his only friend so finding himself fitting in so easy with these guys spoke volumes about the honorable and trustworthy men that they were. One beer turned into three which turned into... Honestly he lost track after six, but before he knew it, Ezra was pretty drunk as were the others. Mike was suddenly standing, holding two large sticks.

"Ok, now that the kid's asleep and we've drank a significant amount of alcohol, it's time to test each of our levels of manliness!" He called in his most announcer-like voice.

Caleb laughed before responding. "Are we really going to do this again, Mike? Don't you remember last year?"

"Yeah, I remember a significant amount of crying," Toby added.

Mike rolled his eyes and turned towards Ezra. "As the newbie, you're up first... with Caleb!" Confused, Ezra rose to follow the other three towards the small dock jetting into the lake not too far from their campsite.

"Ok, so the goal of this game is to be the last man standing on the dock. You get nothing but this stick and anything goes..." Mike trailed off with a smirk. He threw the sticks towards Ezra and Caleb who then made their way out onto the dock. "And... Go!" Before Ezra knew what was happening, Caleb was suddenly charging at him and he found himself falling back into the ice cold lake water. When he submerged the other three were in hysterics, almost rolling on the ground with their laughter. Ezra couldn't help but laugh as well, he hadn't had this much fun since college.

The fighting continued and after Caleb proceeded to make a mockery of everyone else they changed and finished their night by the dwindling fire. When the last beer had been drained and the fire was down to nothing more than embers, all three retired to the large, family sized tent that Mike had packed. Ezra let a soft smile grace his face as he saw Parker holding tight to his teddy bear and curled around Nemo, snuggling himself into the dog's fur. He went to lie down between the wall of the tent and Parker, making sure to cover the child with an extra blanket and to press a kiss to his forehead. Without waking, Parker rolled over and pressed himself to Ezra's side, wrapping his small body into Ezra's warmth. He couldn't help but smile in response. This was the life he wanted, he was absolutely sure of it.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

_**SPENCER**_

Hunting through her mother's cabinets, Spencer found the box of popcorn she had been sent into the kitchen for. She was living in the guest house out back until she graduated from law school and could hopefully move in with Toby, so she wasn't new to stealing food from her mother's cabinets. Seeing as all of the girls were free of their respective boys for that weekend, it was an opportune time for some girl time. This meant manicures, pedicures, hair, shopping, and least of all, movie night. Once the popcorn was ready, Spencer found a bowl to pour it in and carried it back out into the living room where the rest of the girls were cocooned in a pile of blankets and pillows.

"I don't know how those guys are surviving in the woods during the middle of September," Hanna whined. "It's _freezing_."

Grabbing a handful of the popcorn Spencer offered, Emily couldn't help but to laugh at Hanna's remark. "Han, it's like sixty degrees. I'm sure they're fine."

"Well, you won't ever find me doing something so Neanderthal, it's barbaric. I mean come on, beds and central heating were invented for a reason." The girls all laughed and rolled their eyes in response. None of them could ever imagine Hanna spending a couple of nights in the woods. Her one exception had been in high school and they all knew for certain that sleeping had been the last thing on her mind that night.

Aria's phone lit up with a text message a few moments later, resulting in a large smile gracing her face.

"Uh oh, looks like someone's gotten a text from lover boy," Spencer mocked. She made a swipe for Aria's phone but it was pulled out of her reach just in time. "Oh, come on, Aria. What'd he say? You know I'm not going to drop this until I find out."

Aria sighed in mock frustration before turning back towards her phone. "It's nothing, Spence. I was just checking in. He says everything's fine."

Spencer waited until Aria thought she had dropped the topic, then made another attempt to steal the phone, this time successfully.

"Spencer, give me my phone back!" Aria yelled. Luckily, Spencer's tall form was able to ward off Aria's petite body long enough for her to pull up Ezra's latest message.

"Ahhh, look at this guys. Ezra says 'Parks and I are doing well though missing you. Love you more than you know,'" Spencer read out loud. Hanna made a few fake gagging noises while Emily rolled her eyes in response. Secretly they were all ecstatic for Aria, though they would pretend otherwise. "In all seriousness, though, how are things between you and Ezra, Aria?"

Aria took a moment before responding, all the while avoiding eye contact with her best friend. "It's good. He's really good with Parker and he treats me well. I'm really happy."

"Uh huh, if you're so happy then why was Ezra left looking heartbroken at the swim meet?" Emily asked, raising one eyebrow in mock anger.

"Aria! You need to stop playing with his emotions! This was about Noel wasn't it?" Spencer asked. Seeing Aria's nod, she continued, "Noel is soon to be your past, every part of him. Ezra is very much now, start treating him like it. You deserve to finally be happy," Spencer told her, pulling Aria in for a quick hug. Moments later, the girls heard the back door open, indicating that Mrs. Hastings had arrived home.

She came into the living room and upon spotting the girls camped out on the living room floor, passed along her greetings. "Hey, girls. Boys camping this weekend?" They all echoed her greeting before nodding in response to her question. "Oh, good. It's nice to see you all together like this again, it's just like old times. Oh, Aria?"

Aria looked up from the movie to meet Mrs. Hastings' gaze. "Yeah?"

"It seems we have a court date set for Parker's custody hearing. You know about Noel reopening the case a few weeks ago, well I got a judge to fast circuit the hearing date. Keep your schedule open for about a month from now."

Aria's face lost all color as she took in what Mrs. Hastings had just said. She hadn't expected anything to be set so quickly. Self-deprecating thoughts immediately filled her head, and Spencer could easily read the wide array of emotions that filled her friend's face. Her mom didn't miss them either.

"Don't worry about this, Aria. You will have no issues keeping Parker, I will make sure of that. Mr. Kahn's negligence towards the two of you and his brief physical altercations with you will ensure that he is kept from having any part of Parker's life. That is if that's what you want?"

Aria wiped a few tears from her eyes as she nodded. "Absolutely. I just want this whole situation to be over. "

"And it will be. Well, goodnight girls," Mrs. Hastings replied, turning to ascend the stairs towards her bedroom.

Spencer turned towards Aria, pulling her best friend into her side. "We'll be there, Aria. Don't worry about anything. And you've got Ezra now, so stop stressing about this. Noel will be out of the picture soon enough." She pulled out a bottle of wine from under one of the blankets. "Come on, it's time to get drunk!"

_**ARIA**_

Sunday seemed to take its good old time coming around, at least in Aria's opinion. As much as she loved spending the whole weekend catching up with her best friends, she missed Parker and Ezra terribly. On Saturday the girls had even dragged her into Rosewood's one and only lingerie shop, insisting that Ezra deserved a reward for watching her son all weekend. They hadn't actually taken that next step, but Aria could feel that it wouldn't be too much longer. She loved him and she wanted him to know that with absolute certainty. Regardless, she shoved the underwear towards the back of her dresser drawer and hid all proof of its purchase when she got home.

She was currently in the middle of preparing dinner when she heard her front door open and a couple pairs of feet make their way inside. One tiny pair started running towards the kitchen when he smelled the chicken cooking in the oven.

"Mommy!" Parker squealed, running into Aria's arms as she bent down to meet him.

"Hi there, Handsome! How was your camping trip? Did you beat your Uncle Mike again catching fish?" Aria asked him excitedly. She placed him onto the counter so that she could continue making dinner as she talked.

Parker nodded his head vigorously in response. "Uh huh! Eza, helped me, look no booboos!" He said, proudly showing her his hands so that she could see that he hadn't had a repeat of last year.

Ezra and Mike made their way into the kitchen to see Aria pretending to inspect every inch of Parker's hands. "I told you I wouldn't let him near the hooks this year, Ar. Give me a little credit," Mike said as he pulled open the fridge.

Ezra laughed quietly as he placed a kiss on her cheek and leaned against the counter next to Parker. "No, _I_ didn't let him near the hooks. Mike was surprisingly absent during those times." Aria rolled her eyes in response, somehow this didn't surprise her.

"Mike, are you going to stay for dinner? It's about ready," Aria asked her brother.

Mike shook his head before answering. "Nah, I should head back to school. Got a paper to write before tomorrow and only-" he took a quick look at his wrist watch. "-about twelve hours to do it. So I should go. Laters, Munchkin. Ezra." With a nod of his head in their direction he was out the door, leaving Aria with her two boys.

"How about you, Ezra? I made chicken and potatoes if you're hungry," Aria told him, turning to fluff the mashed potatoes she'd started.

Ezra scratched the back of his neck for a second, thinking it over. "I dunno, I have Nemo in the car and I should really get him home before he decides to start chewing on the upholstery."

Aria laughed at his response. "You can bring him in here, Ezra, it's not a big deal. We even have some dog food. I dog sit every now and then for our neighbor." This seemed to make up Ezra's mind as he nodded and pressed another kiss to her hair before turning to get the dog.

"Parks, why don't you go clean up before dinner, please? I'll call you down soon," Aria asked him.

As Parker took off towards his room, Nemo flew through the door and followed the little boy up the stairs. Aria laughed as she heard her son giggle in excitement when he was joined by the dog.

Ezra returned to the kitchen and sat down heavily on one of the bar stools lining the counter. "Can I help you with anything?" Aria shook her head in response, kissing his cheek as she passed him to place a pitcher of water on the table.

"Just sit there and relax. You must be exhausted." All was silent for a few moments before she decided to bring up the court hearing with Ezra. "So… Spencer's mom told me this weekend that a date's been set for Parker's custody hearing," Aria told him nervously. She wasn't sure how he would respond.

Ezra's head immediately snapped up and his eyes met hers as he carefully thought about how he would respond. "When is it? I'll be there."

"Ezra, you don't have to-"

"Aria," Ezra interrupted, standing to take her hands in his. "There is no way that I am going to miss this. I want to be there for you and Parker. You deserve that and I love the both of you way too much to not be there."

Aria leaned up on her tip toes to press a soft kiss to Ezra's lips. "We love you too and thank you. It's in about a month, but I'll let you know the details later." He nodded in response, hugging her to him. Dinner was soon served and afterwards, Parker was still inseparable from Ezra's dog. When Aria asked him to get ready for bed, the little boy excitedly pulled the dog up the stairs with him. The adults shook their heads in amusement, watching from their place on the couch in the living room.

Suddenly, they heard a loud thud resonate from upstairs. "Nemo!" Parker yelled out, playfully disciplining the dog.

Ezra chuckled before releasing Aria. "Stay here, I'll check on him and make sure he gets to bed. Be right back." He quickly climbed the stairs and made his way towards Parker's room, only to find the little boy surrounded by a mountain of Lego's and Transformer toys. Nemo was crouched about a foot away wagging his tail playfully. "Now what seems to be going on in here? Nemo are you not watching Parker like I asked?"

Parker let out a giggle. "Eza, you silly! Nemo can't watch me, he's a dog!" Ezra laughed before scooping the child up and placing him on the bed. He began picking up the toys as Parker finished putting on his pajamas.

"Did you brush your teeth, Parks?" Seeing his nod in response, Ezra dimmed the lights and pulled the covers back so that Parker could crawl into them. He leaned down and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight, Buddy. I love you."

"Bye, Eza," Parker called tiredly before Ezra left the room. "I luv you, too." It was said so softly that Ezra was almost sure he hadn't heard it. A large smile overtook his face as he pulled the door almost closed. With that, Ezra left the little boy to catch up on some well needed sleep and returned down the stairs to finish spending the evening with the woman that he loved just as much.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

_**EZRA**_

The loud sounds of the bar and the constant music playing in the background were starting to give him a headache. Rubbing his temples, Ezra shook his head. He was turning into such an old man. He wasn't even thirty and here he was complaining about a night out drinking.

Slapping him on his back as he returned from the restroom, Hardy signaled to the bartender for another round of beers. "Head up, Man. You're starting to sober me up and that's unacceptable. I'm the married one remember?"

Ezra chuckled before responding. "Yeah, I remember. I was there. Sorry, I didn't get much sleep this past weekend with that camping trip and all. I think it's starting to catch up with me." It was now the following Friday, but with his early school schedule, Ezra had yet to actually get much sleep.

As two more beers were placed in front of them, Hardy turned in his seat to face Ezra. "You know what will fix that? Shots. Bartender!" Before Ezra could reject his proposal, two shots of straight up scotch were placed before them. He sighed, shaking his head before throwing the burning liquid back.

"No more, Hardy. I'll stick to beer for the rest of the night. Unless you plan on carrying me outta here." Ezra spoke slowly, trying his hardest not to slur his words or fall off of his barstool. He didn't think he was that drunk but if the room tilted anymore, he couldn't promise that he wouldn't end up on the floor.

Hardy laughed a few times, swirling the amber liquid a few times in his glass. "How are things with Aria? You guys seem pretty serious."

Ezra couldn't help but smile at the sound of Aria's name. She just had that effect on him. Taking a small sip of his beer, he responded, "Things are going awesome, man. She… she completes me."

"You have _definitely_ been watching way too many chick flicks, bro," Hardy said laughing.

Ezra responded with his own laugh. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But in all seriousness, she's great." He was silent before asking Hardy the question that had been in his head for a few weeks now. "Hard… how'd you know that Amy was the one? I mean, I know I've only been seeing Aria for a few months now… but it just feels like this could be it for me."

Hardy was quiet for a few moments before he responded. "Z, man… when you know, you know. But I gotta be completely honest with you. When I first thought of proposing to Amy, I was scared out of my mind. I didn't think marriage would ever be for me…" he trailed off, thinking about how to phrase the rest of his thoughts. "You know what you learn, though? Marriage isn't about you. It's about her. It's about the family that you want to have with her. Ultimately, it's about making her happy because that's what'll end up making you happy."

Ezra sat in shocked silence at Hardy's revelation. In all the time he'd known him, Hardy had never offered any sort of philosophical advice. Hell, he'd never really given him any useful advice period. But that was Hardy. That was part of what made him Ezra's best friend.

"I see the way you look at her, man. And I see the way she looks at you. I don't think there's anyone out there more perfectly suited to deal with your crap," Hardy chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "She's a keeper so if you feel you're ready then make like Beyoncé and put a ring on it."

Ezra just about lost it, laughing so hard he was sure the beer he'd just swallowed had started coming out of his nose. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and pulled it out to see he had a text from Aria.

'_Hey! I know you're out with Hardy right now, but would you mind swinging by after? I'm having a bit of a problem over here…'-A_

Furrowing his eyebrows in concern, he pocketed the phone and quickly finished the rest of his beer. He threw a few bills down on the counter before standing and pulling on his jacket, turning towards Hardy. "I gotta go. Something's up at Aria's. Rain check for another night?"

"Sure thing, Bro. Catch ya later," Hardy waved Ezra out and he wasted no time calling a cab to come get him. He wasn't in any state to be driving, that was for sure.

_**ARIA**_

"Shoot, shoot, shoot," she exclaimed, throwing a couple buckets under the sink in the kitchen. She didn't know what had happened. One minute she was washing the dishes, having already put Parker to bed, the next… water was soaking her socks. The pipes below the sink had suddenly started leaking and she had no idea where the turn off valve for the water supply even was. She'd tried calling her parents but they were on some second honeymoon cruise and out of the range of reception. So she'd texted Ezra. Hopefully he'd be there soon.

No sooner had she prayed he'd come, than did she hear a car pulling into the drive and a door slamming shut. She made her way towards the front door and opened it in time to see Ezra climbing the stairs to the front porch and a cab pulling away. He quickly took her in his arms and pressed a kiss to her lips that surprisingly tasted strongly of alcohol, before standing back to take a good look at her.

"What's wrong? Did something happen to Parker?" He asked concerned.

She shook her head and gave him a small smile. "No, he's fine. The sink in the kitchen has decided to sprout a leak. I didn't know who to call. I'm sorry, I-"

"Aria, it's fine. Come on. Let's see what's wrong." Ezra followed her into the house and towards the kitchen. He laughed when he saw her temporary solution but quickly located the cut-off valve below the sink and shut off the water. Lowering himself under the sink so that he could assess the problem, Aria couldn't help but admire his toned stomach as his shirt lifted a bit.

"Is it serious? I can make a run to the hardware store in the morning…" Aria trailed off, handing him a wrench so that he could take the piping apart. A few minutes later, she heard Ezra let out a laugh as he detached the pipes at the source of the leak.

He pushed himself out and up into a sitting position, holding his palm out towards Aria so she could see what he had pulled from the pipes.

She laughed herself as she picked up the green Army man covered in gunk. "Looks like Parks was playing with his toys in the sink again. I'm sorry, Ezra."

Still laughing, Ezra replied, "Well, he didn't cause any permanent damage, just clogged the lines enough to backup water at the elbow. Let me put it back together and you'll be good to go." Aria threw the toy into the garbage as she stood and wiped her hands on her jeans. "Alright, there we go. Now we just have to turn the water back on-"

The second Ezra turned the cut-off line back on, water was spraying everywhere. She laughed hysterically as she watched him, now drenching wet stumble to turn the water back off.

"Oops, didn't tighten it enough," Ezra choked out. He quickly tightened the pipes again before timidly turning the water valve. He was safe the second time around as no water leaked out. "Ta-da!" Ezra shouted triumphantly, standing and showing off his work for Aria.

Grabbing a towel she laughed as she ran it through his hair a couple times and then handed it to him to dry the rest of himself off. "I have to say, you're probably the sexiest plumber I've ever seen. Though you may need to go back to school for tightening bolts."

Ezra grabbed her around her waist and pressed her tightly against his soaking wet body. "You think I'm sexy, huh?" Smiling he pressed a kiss to her lips and lifted her onto the counter so that he could stand between her legs.

"Ezra!" She laughed. "You're all wet!" Giggling a couple of times, she pushed him away from her and grabbed his hand, leading him towards the stairs. Locking the door and turning off lights, she led him towards Mike's room. "Here, I think Mike's clothes will fit. They may be a tad small but they'll do. And you're staying here tonight. Don't think I missed the hint of alcohol on your breath," she told him with a smile.

Smiling back he graciously accepted the clothes and made his way into the bathroom to change. When he came out, Aria had left Mike's room open for him but was nowhere to be found. He headed towards her room and saw her pulling back the blankets.

Hearing him enter, she looked up. "Oh, sorry. I didn't say goodnight." She lifted onto her tiptoes to press a soft kiss to his lips. "Goodnight, Ezra," she whispered.

Wrapping her in his arms, he backed them towards her bed. "I would much rather stay in here with you. If that's ok? I promise I won't try anything," he said smiling down at her.

"Ok," she whispered, smiling back. Slowly, they made their way towards the bed and Ezra immediately took her into his arms as she turned out the lights.

"Goodnight, Aria. I love you," he said, pressing a light kiss into her hair.

"Goodnight, I love you too," she said, shyly curling against his side and laying her head on his chest. He wound his arms tightly around her and they were both soon fast asleep.

**Thank you to everyone that has been reviewing for this story, reading your praises and suggestions keeps me writing! Y'all are awesome!**


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

_**ARIA**_

Aria juggled her purse and keys between her hands as she shifted the grocery bags she was carrying from one hand into the other. Finally freeing one hand, she slid Ezra's spare key into his door and pushed it open before releasing a sigh of relief and pushing her way into the tiny apartment. Three flights of stairs and six inch heels did _not_ make for a fun walk.

"Ezra, hey I-" Aria cut her greeting off unexpectedly when she realized that Ezra was not alone in his apartment. Standing before her was a man just barely shorter than Ezra, with light brown hair, blue eyes… and that same boyish grin. "Hello?" Aria asked in confusion, darting her eyes in Ezra's direction as she sought out an explanation.

"Aria, hey. I didn't think you'd be here until later…" Ezra trailed off. He cleared his throat a couple of times before continuing. "Wesley, this is my girlfriend, Aria. Aria, this is my brother Wesley. Who is now leaving."

Wesley smirked at her as he held a hand out for her to shake, ignoring Ezra's cold tone of voice. "Ah, the infamous girlfriend. It's my pleasure to finally meet you, Aria."

"Mine too," Aria about whispered, still confused as to why Ezra's brother was suddenly standing in his apartment.

Clapping Ezra on the back, Wesley moved to pick up his jacket and make his way towards the front door. "Well it's been real. Think about what I said, Ez, and hopefully I'll see you this weekend." Before either of them could respond, Wesley was out the door and down the stairs.

Aria turned to Ezra as she finished putting the rest of her things down on a nearby chair. "What was your brother doing here? What's going on this weekend?"

"Nothing's going on this weekend," Ezra replied in frustration, running a hand through his mop of dark brown curls. "And he was here doing the one thing he's always been good at, guilting me into feeling sorry for him. Well, I'm not falling for it this time." Ezra threw himself down onto his leather sofa and angrily picked up the television remote to turn on a random basketball game.

Sitting down next to him, Aria was quiet for a few seconds before she carefully worded her response. "What would he have to make you feel guilty about, Ezra? He seems like a nice enough guy, but you're both adults, guilt should hardly factor into a relationship between the two of you anymore."

Ezra was silent for a moment before sighing and shifting his attention fully away from the T.V. and towards his girlfriend. "He's graduating this weekend from NYU and he wants me to be there. He wants to catch up over drinks afterwards to celebrate."

Aria knit her eyebrows together in confusion before responding. "That doesn't sound horrible to me. I mean he is your brother. You should go."

"This isn't just about him, though, Ar. It's a ploy to get me to see my mother again. And she… let's just say that she has very strong opinions about how she thinks I should be living my life. Ones that I don't necessarily agree with," Ezra told her, shifting his body so that he was facing her. He picked up Aria's hands between both of his own as he continued. "My mother ruined any type of relationship between my brother and I. If I went this weekend, I'd undoubtedly run into her and she'd use the time together to stir up old drama. It's not worth it. I told him to come back to Rosewood soon and I'd take him out for a drink, but I will _not_ go to New York."

Aria reached over to smooth Ezra's hair away from his forehead before gently brushing her hand over the stubble that had appeared on his cheek over the course of the day. "What if I went with you?"

Now it was Ezra's turned to be shocked and confused. "You want to go to New York?"

"What I want is to be there for you, in every way possible. And I think you need to go to New York to support your brother. So yes. I want to go to New York this weekend," Aria responded.

Ezra quickly pulled her into his lap and pulled her lips to his, losing himself in her embrace. He pulled back after a few moments, resting his forehead against hers. "You know I love you, right?" Ezra asked with a smile.

Aria smiled in returned before getting up and offering him a hand. "I know. Now come on, I have to pick up Parker from a play date and I promised him Sausage King afterwards. I know it's one of your favorites." Ezra couldn't erase the smile from his face as he followed Aria out the door to pick up her son.

_Saturday..._

"Ezra have you seen my other heel?" Aria called from the bathroom of the hotel room they were sharing. After dropping Parker at her mom's for the weekend, Aria and Ezra had left for New York after he got out of school on Friday. Wesley's graduation wasn't until Saturday afternoon, giving them plenty of time to make the trip and enjoy the city life before they were forced to spend time with Ezra's brother. Well, they enjoyed more of each other than they did of the city anyways.

It was now Saturday afternoon and Aria was hurriedly trying to get herself ready so that they wouldn't be late for the ceremony. Ezra was absolutely no help as he lounged on the bed and focused all of his attention on the flat screen resting on the dresser.

Aria rolled her eyes as she found the heel herself and sat to put it on. "Ezra! We have to leave, please finish getting dressed! You need your tie still, and shoes. God, you're acting worse than Parker right now," Aria mumbled to herself.

Ezra crossed his arms and released an aggravated sigh before clicking off the television. "Fine. But as soon as this thing is over, we're outta there. I'd much rather spend more time reacquainting myself with you than with my brother," Ezra said as he leaned over to place a series of kisses against Aria's bare shoulder.

She pushed him away with a small giggle. "I'd like that too, but you know we're here to spend time with your brother. And we're going to be late if we don't leave-" she took a quick look at his wrist watch, "-now. So come on."

Once Ezra had finished getting ready, the pair made their way out onto the busy New York streets where they hailed a cab to take them to the university. Arriving at the school, they didn't have any trouble finding the location for the ceremony and much to their surprise, the event was over rather fast. Soon enough, Wesley was searching for them through the crowd. He made eye contact with Aria and quickly strode over, enveloping Ezra in a tight hug.

"Ezra, I'm so happy you decided to come! And Aria, it's a pleasure to see you again," Wesley told them, releasing his brother with a quick clap to his shoulder.

Ezra wrapped his arm around Aria's shoulders before responding. "Congratulations, Wes. I seem to remember promising you a drink, so where would you like to go?"

Wesley reached behind him to nervously scratch the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at Ezra. "About that, I-"

"Well, if it isn't my long lost son," a female voice called from behind them.

Aria felt Ezra tense at the sound of the voice. Though he refused to turn and greet whoever had called to them, she felt him straining to keep every muscle in his body taught, avoiding this unwelcome presence.

"I expect my son to at least greet his mother by acknowledging me, I raised him better than to treat me like a total stranger," the woman said in an icy steel tone of voice.

Ezra reluctantly turned, though it seemed as if doing so was causing him the most pain that he had every felt. "Mother," he replied, mirroring her cool demeanor.

Aria followed his example, turning to take in a woman who appeared to be in her late fifties. Aria could immediately spot the resemblance between Ezra and his mother. She sported the same curly hair and nose, along with other various physical attributes. The coldness in her eyes, however, shocked Aria. That was a trait Ezra most certainly had _not_ inherited.

"I'm surprised that you've decided to make an appearance at your brother's graduation. Here I thought you had fallen off the face of the planet," Ezra's mother snapped.

"We both know that's not true. You have your eyes everywhere, so you more than likely know where I live and my daily schedule," Ezra retorted, releasing a sarcastic laugh.

Wesley quickly came to stand between the two of them. "Could we not do this here, please? People are starting to stare."

Aria watched as Ezra stared his mother down, refusing to break her gaze or give into her dominating presence. "That's fine, we're leaving."

"You most certainly are not," his mother replied. "I have made reservations for the four of us at your father's old country club. I will not let you leave before at least sharing a meal."

Aria reached out to grasp Ezra's hand in hers, hoping to radiate her support for him through the simple touch. He seemed to calm a bit as she felt the muscles in his arms relax and his posture drop slightly. Wesley pleaded with Ezra through his gaze, silently begging his older brother to not leave him alone with their mother. This seemed to fuel the battle raging within him as the tension in the room only appeared to get thicker with each passing second.

"Fine."

Aria hoped they would survive this meal.


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

_**EZRA**_

The tension that had radiated through the small group at the graduation ceremony only seemed to intensify as they made their way to the country club where Ezra's father had once been a member. He remembered playing on the greens and running through the sand traps as a child, accompanying his father any chance he got. His mother had not been the cold monster that she was today back then. It wasn't until his father had unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack when he was in high school that she turned so frigid.

Finding themselves at a secluded table overlooking the back of the course, Ezra had to shake his head at the irony of the situation. This was exactly why he had not wanted to come to Wesley's graduation in the first place. His brother had known their mother would be there and acting like the scared little child that he had always been, he had tricked Ezra into showing up so that he could use him as a buffer against their mother.

Ezra felt Aria's hand rest softly on his upper thigh underneath the table. He was so incredibly thankful that she was there. She was the only reason he had been able to stay as calm as he was throughout the entire afternoon.

Clearing her throat from where she sat directly across from Ezra, his mother attempted to start a light conversation as they awaited their food. "So, Ezra, are you going to introduce me to this beautiful young lady?"

Ezra sighed. "Mom, this is my girlfriend, Aria. We met last year when Hardy hired her to photograph his wedding."

"That's lovely. And Aria, I do apologize for the manner in which we met. Hopefully, you won't let that taint your initial impressions of me."

'_No, your son's reactions are enough for me to form my initial opinion of you,'_ Aria thought. "Absolutely not, I'm happy to meet you."

"Wonderful," his mother said as she flashed her an insincere smile before turning back to Ezra. "And Ezra, how is this little teaching thing of yours going?"

Taking a sip of his water, Ezra replied, "Fine. I love my job, it's very fulfilling."

"I bet it is," his mother replied snidely.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ezra snapped, picking up on his mother's attitude.

"You know exactly what it means. Your brother is fulfilling his role by graduating with a respectable business degree and moving towards doing his part to help run your father's company, while you…"

"While I what, Mother? While I do what makes me happy? You know that I was never going to take over Dad's company. I made that clear the day I graduated from high school and got accepted into the education program at Hollis. Don't continue to hold my decisions over my head as if they are black marks against our family," Ezra barked. He had had enough of his mother's snide comments towards his chosen profession and lifestyle. He loved teaching and he wouldn't sacrifice doing what he loved for money or supposed family responsibilities. Ripping the napkin from his lap, he stood. "You know what, I need to use the restroom."

"Ezra Fitzgerald, you sit down and stop making a scene. We were having a nice lunch. Stop taking everything I say so personally," his mother snapped.

"Everything you say is personal. It always has been. You don't say anything or do anything without a hidden agenda and I'm done playing your games." With that, Ezra strode towards the men's room. Aria made to follow but Wesley stood before she could move.

"I'll go talk with him," he told her, quickly following after his brother.

Ezra leaned against the sink in the restroom, turning the cold water on to splash some onto his face in an attempt to calm down. This was exactly what he expected of his mother, so why, after all these years, was he still letting her get to him? He heard the restroom door open and looked up to meet his brother's gaze in the mirror as he came to stand next to him.

"Look, Ezra, I'm so sorry. I didn't-"

"You didn't what? Think I would run into her at the ceremony? Think she would still make the same condescending remarks she's always made after we started talking? You know what, Wes, this is why I alienated myself from this family. I don't need this drama in my life."

Wesley sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets and turning to lean against the counter. He stared sideways at his brother for a moment before responding. "I'm sorry that after all this time you and I are still nothing but assets to her, that we're nothing more than pawns in her game to constantly get what she wants."

Ezra didn't reply. He continued to stare at his reflection in the mirror, gripping the sink so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"But you're the only family I've got besides her. I don't want to lose you because of her. Please," Wesley about begged him. "You're my big brother and I need you to do what you've always done… protect me."

Ezra turned to stare at Wesley for a second, before throwing his used hand towel in the trash. "You're my brother and I love you, Wes. But there are other people in my life now that need my protection, especially from people like her. It's time to grow up." With that, Ezra turned for the door.

_**ARIA**_

Staring into her water glass, Aria attempted to stay out of the line of fire radiating from Mrs. Fitzgerald's gaze as they awaited the return of Wesley and Ezra. Shifting ever so slightly in her seat, Ezra's mother turned towards her.

"I know what you must think of me but let me make something perfectly clear to you," she said, leaning in slightly towards Aria. "My sons are, and always have been, selfish. Ezra rejected his inheritance after his father passed away and attempted to cut his brother and myself from his life. He will soon come to realize, however, that his family will always be there for him whereas you… Well, we both know that this little family situation you both have deluded yourselves into thinking is going to work, simply will not last. You need to cut your losses before either yourself or your son get hurt."

Aria sucked in a shocked breath. "How do you know about my son?"

Mrs. Fitzgerald smiled calmly. "Oh, Dear. I have my ways. But I will not let you ruin my son with your own problems." Aria's face lost all color as she sat in shocked silence. She had never been spoken to in such a manner before. Ezra was suddenly by her side, gently coaxing her from her seat.

"Come on, Aria. We should get going. Mother, as always, it's been a joy," Ezra said, wrapping Aria's coat across her shoulders and leading her away. The moment that they stepped out into the cool autumn air, he turned and pulled her into him, pressing his face into the loose hair framing her neck.

"Aria, I am _so_ sorry…"

"Ezra," she said pulling his face up so that he could see her. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Come on. Let's get out of here." Upon hailing a cab, Ezra pulled Aria tightly to his side as he told the driver to take them back to their hotel. She looked at him questioningly but didn't say anything.

The cab quickly pulled up to the hotel and after paying the driver, Ezra led Aria inside and in to the bar where he ordered a round of shots and two mixed drinks that she'd never heard of.

"Ezra, I don't think this is such a good idea. I mean you just-"

"Aria," Ezra said, cutting her off. "I think that you think too much. Let's just be here. Right now, in this moment," he pleaded.

"Ok," she whispered. Smiling at him, she threw back the shot and turned to order another round.

Hours later, after accumulating quite a tab and a pretty good buzz, they made their way to their room. As soon as they stepped into the room, Ezra turned and had Aria pressed against the door, ravishing her mouth as he gripped her body tightly to his own.

"Ezra," she moaned, winding her hands into his hair. She found that she had no desire to stop his actions and hungrily leaned in to meet his mouth with her own.

_The next morning..._

When Aria awoke early the next morning, she had a pounding headache and was desperately thirsty. Reaching towards the nightstand to turn on the table lamp, she felt Ezra tighten his hold on her body. Instantly, memories of the previous night flooded her mind and she couldn't help but to smile at the thoughts of his lips and hands as they worshiped every inch of her body.

"I'm sorry," she heard Ezra quietly whisper from behind her. Turning, she looked at him in confusion "For taking advantage of you last night... and for my mother."

Cupping his face between her hands, Aria forced him to meet her gaze. "Ezra, you didn't force me to do anything that I didn't want to do. I don't regret anything that happened yesterday, except for maybe having lunch with your mother."

Chuckling he leaned in to press a soft kiss to her mouth. "Good. I don't regret it either. But I am sorry for the way this happened. I was using you to let out my aggravation from my mother. And that wasn't right."

Aria immediately pressed her body to his, wrapping her hands around his neck and rolling them so that he was hovering above her. Smiling up at him, she whispered, "Then let's have a do over." For the rest of their stay in New York both Aria and Ezra sought to erase all memories of the weekend with his family, choosing instead to make new memories between just the two of them.


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY ONE**

_**EZRA**_

Ezra had been wearing a silly stupid grin on his face ever since returning from their trip to New York. One might think that it was the result of reconciling with his mother, but he knew otherwise. He had learned without a doubt over the weekend that Aria was the one for him. She supported him through the situation with his family and everything she did screamed of her love for him. He missed her and Parker terribly when he wasn't with them and he was constantly thinking of them. Hopefully he could change that soon.

Leaving the last red mark on the stack of papers he was currently grading, Ezra stood from his desk and stretched out his tired joints. It was Wednesday afternoon and he had decided to stay at school, catching up on all of the work that had been neglected due to his weekend trip. He smiled as he caught sight of the framed photo resting on his desk of him and Aria from Hardy's wedding. He hoped that he could add one of Parker soon. His dress slacks suddenly started vibrating as he received a phone call. He quickly dug into his trouser pocket and pulled the phone out, smiling when he saw Aria and Parker's grinning faces staring up at him from the screen.

"Hey, You! I didn't think you'd be out of work for another hour or so," Ezra said as he answered the phone.

"I know and that's kinda why I'm calling…" In his mind Ezra could see Aria chewing on her bottom lip in thought before she continued. "I need your help."

Knitting his eyebrows in concern he immediately started packing his desk, cradling the phone between his head and shoulder as he moved. "Sure, anything. What's going on?"

He heard Aria let out a small sigh before she answered him. "Lucas had to suddenly leave because his baby's sick, leaving me to cover this photo shoot for the grand opening of the new football field over in Ravenna. That's about a half hour away and I need to leave now if I want to make it on time. My parents are out of town and Spencer's busy studying for an exam so I don't want to bother her…"

Chuckling, Ezra slipped on his coat and made his way out the door, turning to lock up before he headed towards the exit. "Do you want me to pick up Parker from daycare, Aria?"

"Would you mind? I'll only be a few hours at most. I promise that I'll be back for dinner, it's just that I didn't know who else I could ask," Aria told him nervously.

"Absolutely, we'll even make dinner for you. It'll be fun."

"Thank you _so_ much, Ezra. I really owe you. I'll call the center right now and let them know that you're on your way."

"You don't owe me anything, it's my pleasure. We'll see you when you get back. Love you," Ezra told her as he reached his car, throwing his briefcase into the trunk and climbing in.

"Love you, too. See you soon." Aria hung up and after starting his car, Ezra went to pick up Parker from daycare.

When he walked into the daycare center Ezra couldn't help but to chuckle at the chaotic environment enveloping Parker's tiny classroom. He loved Parker but he couldn't imagine looking after twenty to thirty toddlers for an entire day. He was often exhausted enough spending time with just Parks.

"Eza!" Parker yelled excitedly, pushing himself up from where he had been drawing on the ground a few feet away. He ran towards him and Ezra didn't waste any time in scooping the little boy into his arms. He pressed a kiss to his cheek as he rested him on his hip.

"Hey, Buddy! Your mommy sent me to pick you up. Ready to go?" Parker nodded his head vigorously, scrambling to get down so that he could collect his things.

An elderly woman with curly grey hair and a warm smile approached Ezra as he waited on Parker to finish cleaning up. "Hi there, you must be Ezra? Aria just called and said that you'd be collecting Parker."

Ezra smiled before reaching out to shake her hand. "I am. Something came up at work so Aria asked me to pick him up. I hope that's not an issue?"

The woman shook her head before responding. "Oh no, it's not a problem. Though do tell Aria that she needs to add you to her approved list of people who can collect him if this is going to be a regular occurrence."

"I'll make sure to do that," Ezra responded, watching as she accepted his answer and turned to walk away. He turned as Parker came walking back, struggling to zip up his jacket. Kneeling, Ezra quickly helped the little boy put on his coat and grabbed his backpack from him before lifting him into his arms and making his way out to his car. "So what did you do in daycare today, Parks?" Ezra asked after he strapped Parker into the spare car seat he had installed in his car the previous week. He closed the door before climbing into the driver's side and pulling out into traffic.

"We'z got ta color! Our teacha says to draw a piture of our family so I made a piture wit you, me, Mommy, and Nemo!" he answered happily from the backseat. Ezra smiled at his answer, instantly falling in love with the little boy all over again. Parks was suddenly silently for a few moments before timidly asking, "Eza?"

Ezra shifted his eyes for a second to meet Parker's gaze in the rearview mirror before turning again to look at the road. "Yeah, Buddy?"

"My fwiend Evan drawed a piture of his mommy and daddy. It looked jus like my piture. Does that mean youz is my daddy?" He asked this so softly that Ezra had to strain to hear him. He sat there silently thinking about how to answer Parker's question.

Sighing, Ezra signaled his turn into the grocery store parking lot before pulling into a parking space and killing the engine. He turned in his seat so that he could meet Parker's questioning stare. As much as he wanted to answer in the affirmative, this was something that he needed to discuss with Aria first.

"You know how much I love you, right?" Ezra asked him, avoiding a direct answer to his question.

Parker nodded his head rapidly, grinning so large it was contagious and Ezra found himself mirroring the expression as he climbed out to extract the child from his seat. Grabbing his hand as they made their way into the store, Parker responded, "I luv you too, Eza."

The pair quickly found a cart and after Parker's adamant refusal to climb into the cart's seat, Ezra found himself holding his hand while pushing the cart with the other. They just needed to collect a few items to make dinner with, so he wanted to get in and out.

"Ezra?" Turning, Ezra saw Mrs. Miller, one of the early intervention specialists at the school, standing a few feet down the aisle that he and Parker had just turned down.

"Hi there, Wendy. How are you?"

She came closer to Ezra, shifting her eyes to take in the little boy clasping Ezra's hand. "I'm doing well, though apparently you're doing much better. I didn't know that you had a son, Ezra."

'_Great, my day couldn't get any more awkward,'_ Ezra thought as he attempted to think of an explanation that he could give her with Parker right there. He soon lost track of time explaining (carefully) the situation to his elderly co-worker. Before he knew it, fifteen minutes had passed and he suddenly realized that Parker was no longer holding his hand.

"Excuse me, I have to go," Ezra said, panic suddenly filling his body. He turned to head down the aisle and quickly scanned through every aisle he passed, desperately searching for Parker's mop of light brown hair. He found Parker after a few minutes in the candy aisle but he wasn't alone. Standing over him, attempting to pick up the little boy, was a man who Ezra had never before seen. He quickly pushed his cart over to the two of them and scooped a now crying Parker into his arms.

"Daddy!" Parker cried hysterically, burying his face into Ezra's neck, attempting to hide himself from the man in front of them. Ezra didn't bother to correct him as he focused his attention on the man.

"So this is the infamous boyfriend who thinks he's going to take my son away from me, huh?" Noel snidely shot out, taking a step closer to Ezra.

Parker lifted his tear streaked face from Ezra's shirt to respond. "Eza is my daddy, not you!" Ezra quickly placed the boy into the cart and made to turn away from Noel, he wanted to protect Parker from what was quickly escalating into a hostile situation.

An angry scowl formed on Noel's face and he turned a rather interesting shade of red at the little boy's statement. "That quick mouth is something he learned from his mother. Don't get used to this, Parker, you won't be with them much longer. And you… take some useful advice and stay away from my son."

People had started to stare from the other end of the aisle and before Ezra could comprehend what was happening, Noel's fist was connecting with the side of his jaw. Pain radiated through Ezra's face but he ignored it as he quickly grabbed Noel and pushed him to the ground restraining him from throwing another punch. His only concern was for Parker. He signaled for someone to call 911 and what seemed like a short minute later, two police officers were handcuffing Noel and leading him towards the exit. Parker was full out crying now from his seat in the shopping cart and a steady throb had begun in Ezra's jaw. Turning, he picked up the boy and cradled him to his chest, attempting to calm him.

"Shush, come on, Parks. Everything's ok, I've got you. You're ok," he softly whispered to the child. A police officer came up to him carrying a pad of paper and a pen.

"Excuse me, Sir? We've already gotten statements from witnesses to the altercation but I'm going to need your statement as well. Do you have a moment? We could go to the station if you'd feel more comfortable doing it there."

Ezra shook his head, rubbing Parker's back. "No that's fine, let's just get it over with." After explaining what went down, Ezra decided it would be best to just leave the groceries that they'd collected and order pizza that night.

Driving towards Aria's house, Ezra used her spare key to let Parker and himself in before going to lay the now sleeping child down in his bed. No sooner had he descended the stairs than was Aria opening the door and shaking off her coat, unloading her purse onto the small table in the front entryway.

"Hey! I got out sooner than I thought I would. I thought we could- Ezra what happened to your face?!" Aria exclaimed upon getting a good look at him.

Ezra sat down heavily on the couch and leaned his head against the cushions, closing his eyes before answering her. "I met Noel today."

Aria, who had returned from the kitchen with an ice pack, automatically stilled her movements as she sat down next to him. "He did this?" she whispered. Ezra nodded in response and she let out a small sigh, gently placing the ice pack to his now black and blue jaw. "Where's Parker? Is he ok?" She suddenly asked.

"He's fine, Aria, just a little upset. I put him to bed, he's exhausted." Ezra lifted his head to look at her. Smiling, he reached forward to pull her to him and pressed a kiss to her hair. "I'm fine. I didn't even swing back… or speak a word to him, really," he chuckled.

Aria lifted her head from his shoulder, brushing his hair from his forehead. "I am _so_ sorry, Ezra. I guess we've both got some pretty serious skeletons in our closets, huh?" She smiled timidly at him.

Smiling back, Ezra chuckled. "Yeah, we do but the good news is that this probably won't help his case to gain custody of Parker… who, by the way, called me daddy today," Ezra whispered. He waited anxiously for her response.

Aria gave him a small smile. "Oh, yeah? Well, you do kind of fulfill that role for him, but if you don't want him calling you that, it's-"

Ezra cut her off, pressing his lips to hers for a second before pulling back. "I would love for him to call me that. I just wanted to make sure you would be ok with it."

They both sat in silence for a few moments, just taking in the chaos that had consumed their day. Smiling, Aria got up from the couch and made her way towards the kitchen. "I guess we have to order pizza now, right? Gosh you take one small punch and you're suddenly incapable of cooking?" Aria teased, looking over her shoulder as she walked away.

Ezra laughed before rising to follow. "It was one _large_ punch, and I was defending your honor!..."


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY TWO**

_**ARIA**_

Noel's fight with Ezra couldn't have come at a better time. Though she felt extremely guilty over what had happened, she couldn't deny that she was hoping Ezra was right in Noel now not standing a shot at winning custody over Parker. Another week and a half had passed since the incident and before she knew it, it was a Friday afternoon in late October. Parker's custody hearing was in just under two hours and Aria was beyond nervous.

Running the brush through her hair one last time, she took a deep breath before calling out for her son. "Parker, Honey, are you ready to go? We have to leave soon." Walking into his room, Aria found him playing with his trucks, completely missing his socks, tie and shoes. She couldn't help but laugh. It looked like he had picked up on Ezra's manner of dealing with unwanted situations.

"I'm not goin', Momma. Youz said tat mean man is gunna be there and I don't like him," Parker told her. When his tear filled eyes lifted to meet hers she swore her heart broke in two.

Kneeling, she softly brushed his hair from his forehead and cupped his cheek, making Parker look at her. "Sweetheart, I know you don't like him. But we have to go see the judge today. Your daddy doesn't deserve a sweet little boy like you and Mommy's going to make sure he doesn't bother you ever again."

Parker knit his eyebrows in confusion before responding. "But Eza's my daddy, Mommy. And I luv him, I don't want him ta leave."

Aria laughed as she pressed a kiss to his head and lifted him onto the bed so that she could put on his socks and shoes. "You're right he is and Ezra's not going anywhere, Parks, just that mean man from the grocery store. Now come on, find your tie. The quicker this is over, the faster we can celebrate with dinner at that fancy restaurant your Daddy took me to a while ago." Parker quickly jumped down and ran to get his tie from his dresser as Aria stood and straightened her dress.

Ever since Parker had called Ezra Daddy, she hadn't had the heart to correct him, and neither had Ezra apparently. They would eventually sit down one day and explain the situation to him but that could wait until he was older. Hopefully by then Ezra _would _be his daddy and they could all share a good laugh over this story. She shook her head to herself. She honestly doubted that she would ever find this situation funny.

The bedroom door cracked open as Ezra poked his head in. He had taken the day off from school and was dressed in his nicest suit, his tie even matching Parker's as he had picked them out himself. Upon spotting Aria, he immediately pulled her into his arms and pressed a loving kiss to her lips.

"Ewww! Tat's yucky, Daddy!" Parker yelled from his closet. Ezra let out a short laugh in response before turning back to Aria, running a hand softly over her back.

"How are you doing?" he asked quietly. He knew the pressure Aria had put on herself due to this hearing and he couldn't wait for it to be over.

She took a deep breath before responding. "I'm ok. Ready for this to be finished. Parker, are you ready to go?" Nodding his head he took off down the stairs and Aria moved out of Ezra's embrace to follow, picking up her purse and jacket. Ezra scooped Parker into his arms and without a moment's hesitation they headed towards the courthouse.

When they arrived at the courthouse, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer were waiting out front for them. Spencer immediately pulled Aria into a bone crushing hug.

"My mom is pulling all of the necessary files and paperwork now. She said it won't be much longer until we're called back, but there's been some kind of change. She wouldn't tell me what it was," Spencer hurriedly told her. The fear in her eyes was enough to set Aria's nerves on edge and Ezra immediately pulled her to his side, pressing a calming kiss to her hair.

Parker leaned over from where was resting on Ezra's hip to give Aria a large smile, pointing towards the benches across the street. "Look, Momma! It's anotha puppy! Can we go say hi?"

Aria laughed, hugging both of the boys to her. Leave it to her son to try and ease her nerves with a puppy. "We have to go inside now, Parks. We'll see if he's still there, though, when we're done." This seemed to placate him and the girls turned to make their way up the concrete steps and in to the courthouse.

Security was a bit of an issue for Parker as he adamantly refused to be placed on the ground by Ezra, even sprouting a few tears at the idea. New situations always frightened him, they had ever since he was a baby. He was quick to adapt, however, quickly running through the scanner when the guards offered him a lollipop. Ezra immediately scooped him back up and grabbed Aria's hand. Walking down the hallways leading towards the courtroom, Mrs. Hastings suddenly appeared through a door to their left.

"Aria, I'm glad you're here early. Listen, something's come up and the judge has asked to see us in his private chambers for the hearing," she told Aria. Aria's heart started pounding so wildly that she was sure Ezra could feel it through the tight grip he had on her hand. He ran his thumb softly over her knuckles to show her his support.

"Wh-why the sudden change? Is this a bad thing? It sounds like a bad thing," Aria nervously stuttered out. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, running her free hand through her hair.

Smiling, Mrs. Hastings shook her head. "The case before ours is taking longer than expected, and it's either meeting in his private chambers during a jury break or reschedule for January. This actually could work to our benefit, though. He'll be focused on only our case, not the next one sitting a couple rows back. And it'll be more personal this way. He'll be able to see everyone that's here to support you and Parker."

Aria nodded her head, showing that she understood and the group followed Spencer's mom down another long hallway, coming to stop before a door labeled with the judge's name.

Mrs. Hastings nodded her head towards the door before opening it and ushering them inside. Aria's breath instantly caught in her chest upon entering the judge's private chambers. Sitting in one of the only seats opposite an elegant mahogany desk was Noel Kahn. Immediately to his right, holding his hand and smirking as if she knew something they didn't, was Jenna Marshall. Aria had heard that the two of them had started dating but she had honestly thought that it was just a rumor. Jenna had never been up to Noel's standards in high school, so she was surprised that she made the cut now.

Looking around, Aria noticed that the judge had yet to make an appearance. That was good, it would give her time to calm herself down. Ezra, spotting the only remaining seat in the room (aside from the judge's chair), made to sit Parker down. Parker, however, let out a horrified wale at the prospect of being separated from him and clung even tighter to Ezra's suit jacket.

"Sshh, it's ok, Buddy. I've got you. Come on," Ezra whispered softly, stroking Parker's hair.

Hanna let out a sound of excitement at the adorable scene, muffled only slightly by Emily's quick hand placed over her mouth. Snatching the hand from her face, she harshly whispered, "What?!" Emily just rolled her eyes in response.

"Aria, I've got him, please sit down," Ezra said, turning towards her. He pulled the seat further from Noel and Jenna, coaxing Aria into it. Soon enough, the judge was pushing his way into the room.

Appearing to be in his late sixties or early seventies, the judge gave off the appearance of a kind, gentle grandparent; one, however, that would not tolerate any kind of foolishness from anyone. He pushed his glasses further up his nose and after shaking Mrs. Hastings' hand, took his seat across from the large group. He chuckled upon seeing everyone that had gathered in his office.

"Looks like we're having our own little party here, isn't that right, Parker?" The judge turned his smiling face towards the little boy currently hiding himself against Ezra's neck. Parker nodded his head but refused to turn to meet the judge's gaze, only making him let out a small laugh. Aria thought that he probably experienced this enough with children Parker's age.

Sighing, the judge picked up the file that Mrs. Hastings' had recently deposited on his desk. He flipped it open to the documents explaining Aria's wish for full custody over Parker. "I want to start by saying that I've gone over this case multiple times now. For Mr. Kahn to take custody of Parker, he was first requested to provide DNA proof that he is in fact, Parker's biological father, seeing as how he is not listed as the father on Parker's birth certificate. Have you done that, Mr. Kahn?"

Noel nodded his head, pulling papers from a genetic testing facility from his pant pocket. "Yes, sir. I have the documents right here." Sliding the papers across the desk, he smirked at Aria. Though this didn't come as a surprise, it still hurt that he had actually taken the necessary measures to prove that he was Parker's father.

The judged nodded as he flipped through the papers. "It all seems intact. However, Mr. Kahn, in child custody cases between unmarried couples, the mother is usually given primary custody of the care and control over the child. That is, unless, you can prove that she is unfit to care for Parker."

"That's easy, sir, see I-"

"I didn't say that you could speak yet, Mr. Kahn," the judge snapped. A tense silence fell over the room as Aria nervously began to wring her hands in her lap. Ezra softly laid his free hand on her shoulder, attempting to calm her down.

"As I was saying, unless you can show that the mother is unfit or has abandoned her child in some way, this is a pretty closed book case. Now I have spoken in great lengths with Mrs. Hastings and it has become clear to me that this hearing is nothing more than a pitiful attempt for you to take Ms. Montgomery's child from her when in fact, you did not want anything to do with him before. Why is that?"

Noel was silent, panic quickly covering his face as he attempted to think of a reply suitable to give to the judge.

"Let me make myself clear. Taking custody of a child is about more than collecting a child support check every month. You are taking responsibility for that child's life. For providing them with everything necessary to become a successful, integral part of society as an adult. Ms. Montgomery seems to be doing a fine job of that without you." Taking off his glasses, the judge leaned slightly towards Noel and lowered his voice as he continued. "I see fathers like you every day. Fathers who see the financial gain or social popularity that they could possibly gain from winning custody over a child. I will not, under any circumstances, grant that wish."

Aria released a long held breath, feeling the weight of the past five years lifting from her shoulders. Turning towards her, the judge picked up the file and flipped a few more pages.

"Now, am I to understand that you wish to withhold any visitation rights, Ms. Montgomery?"

Aria nodded her head timidly.

"Unfortunately for yourself, Mr. Kahn, the physical abuse sustained by not only Ms. Montgomery but also by a… Mr. Ezra Fitz?..." The judge lifted his eyes in question towards Ezra, who nodded in response. "The physical altercations between yourself and these two people allows me to make an easy decision here. Ms. Montgomery will retain full custody over Parker Montgomery, with all visitation rights revoked. This case is over." As the judge went to stand, Noel slammed his fists on the desk leaning towards him with an angry scowl gracing his features.

"Sir, I hardly think it fair-"

"You have no right to decide what is fair or not in my courtroom, Mr. Kahn." The icy glare the judge sent Noel stopped him in his tracks. "Police Officer Warner, please escort Mr. Kahn and his guest out of my chambers." Before anyone could blink, Noel was being escorted out a side door, quickly followed by Jenna.

Turning towards Aria, the judge quietly closed the case file and extended his hand. "Congratulations, Ms. Montgomery. Let me know should you wish to have a restraining order put in place. Also," he said, making eye contact with Ezra. "I would be happy to personally oversee the legalization of a real father for Parker, when the time comes of course." A large smile overtook Ezra's face as he took in the judge's words and they all wasted no time in wishing him a good afternoon before hastily making their way out of the courthouse.

When they reached the sidewalk, Aria wasted no time in pulling Ezra and Parker into a tight embrace. "I love you both, so much."

Parker squealed in excitement as the other girls pressed themselves in for a group hug. "Momma, I'ze bein squished!" Laughing, the girls pulled away, each ruffling Parker's hair as they did.

"Come on, Parks, we're gonna go say hi to that puppy," Spencer said, pulling Parker from Ezra's arms and indicating for the other girls to follow her. Once alone, Aria quickly hauled Ezra to her for a tight embrace.

"Thank you so much, Ezra. I'm sorry that this situation took so long to straighten out. You have no idea what it meant to the both of us having you here," Aria whispered into his chest.

Ezra, holding the back of Aria's head placed a number of kisses into her hair before gently lifting her face so that he could make eye contact. "I told you that I'd wait, Aria. You and Parker have _always_ been worth that… and so much more." Leaning towards her, he placed a soft kiss against her lips and whispered, "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"I'm starting to see how much," she said, smiling in return. She returned the kiss softly, adding, "Trust me."

**There's probably only a chapter or two left, but I wanted to let you all know how awesome you are! Thank you all so much for reading this story and showing your support! It's incredible knowing that people actually read what you write, so thank you all!**


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY THREE**

_**EZRA**_

The days Ezra spent with Aria and Parker melted into weeks which turned into months. Holidays came and went, seasons changed, and the more he tried to remember his life before he met them the harder it became to do. He had become such an integral part of their family that even Parker began to question why he wasn't with him 24/7 like his mommy was. Ezra wondered this too and spent much of his time recently reflecting on his future with the little family. Today was one of those days.

Glancing at the clock hanging at the front of the auditorium, Ezra let out a drawn out sigh and sank further into his seat. His head dropped against the plush cushions of the chair and more than once did he find himself almost nodding off as the students on stage rehearsed part after part. He was somehow in charge of running the school plays this quarter and as much as he thought he'd love doing it, the job just became an added aggravation for his already busy schedule. He let his mind wander to a future that included Aria, Parker, Nemo… maybe another child, who knew.

"Did that sound alright, Mr. Fitz?" A student called from the stage. Ezra's head snapped up and he hastily threw together a reply, hoping that the student hadn't caught him not paying attention.

"That was excellent, Jordan. Tell you guys what, let's break for the night and pick this up again tomorrow," Ezra replied, lifting himself from the seat that had been his refuge for the past hour. Glancing at his wrist watch, he saw that he only had about fifteen minutes until he was needed to pick up Parker anyhow. He had had a lengthy conversation with Aria about sharing responsibility for Parks. Ezra felt that if he truly was going to act as a father for the little boy, then he needed to be there for everything, including mundane tasks such as picking him up from daycare. She had agreed, alternating days with him for picking Parker up from the center. A large smile graced his features as he hurried to throw on his jacket and left to retrieve him.

Ezra walked into the classroom no more than ten minutes later, as the center was located just down the street from the high school where he taught. The teacher, well acquainted with him by now, smiled and called for Parker to gather his things. Ezra became a bit sad as he thought about Parker not having much more time to spend here. He was about six months away from starting Kindergarten.

"Hi, Daddy!" Parker said joyously as he approached Ezra, dragging his worn out backpack behind him. Ezra chuckled as he grabbed Parker's hand and lifted the backpack onto his shoulder. He would have to get him a new one before he started school.

"Hi there, Parks, you ready to get going?" At Parker's nod, Ezra led him out the door and towards his silver Camri. The next five minutes or so were spent listening to Parker babble on about his day at the daycare center as Ezra drove them home.

Pulling into the driveway, Ezra made quick work unbuckling Parker from his car seat before grabbing his backpack and his own briefcase, following the little boy into the house. Setting his things down in the entryway, Ezra kicked off his shoes and headed towards the kitchen, taking inventory of the groceries they had. He didn't officially live with them but he had enough of his things at Aria's house that one would never be able to tell.

'_Pasta it is,'_ he thought to himself, pulling the box of noodles from a shelf. Parker came running into the kitchen, carrying his bear that Ezra had gotten him that long year ago.

"Daddy, can I'ze helps you?" Parker asked, scrambling to pull himself up onto one of the bar stools lining the center island. Ezra chuckled as he lifted him up onto the seat.

"Of course you can, Buddy! We're going to make spaghetti and salad, do you think you can wash the vegetables for me?" Ezra asked, pushing a bowl of cherry tomatoes towards Parker. The little boy eagerly pulled on the water to the sink located in the middle of the island and pushed the bowl under the stream. He ended up washing more of himself than he did of the tomatoes but Ezra didn't complain.

As the two busied themselves making dinner, Ezra's mind again wandered but this time to something hidden at the back of his nightstand drawer in his apartment. A few weeks ago, after a night of therapy that included Hardy, a case of beer, and his dog, Ezra had determined that he was going to propose to Aria. He couldn't stand to be without her or Parker, so why should he be any longer? This was it for him, he knew it. Hardy had suggested, however, that Ezra do one thing before he asked Aria.

"How are those vegetables coming along, Parker? Your mommy should be home soon," Ezra told the child, smiling as he watched Parker eat every other tomato that he added to the salad bowl.

"Good, Daddy!" He giggled, stealing one of Ezra's cucumber slices as he finished cutting them up. Laughing, he pushed the vegetables into the bowl and told Parker to carefully mix the salad. His eyes followed the little boy's movements as he nervously pushed his hair off of his forehead, a habit he was sure that he'd picked up from Aria. Pushing the bowl aside after Parker had finished, Ezra leaned in carefully so that Parker was suddenly looking at him curiously. "Ares you otay, Daddy?"

"Of course, Parks," Ezra answered smiling. He reached out to run a hand through the boy's mess of hair. "Listen, I have a question for you, Parker… You know how much I love you, right?"

Smiling brightly, Parker nodded his head vigorously. "Of tourse, I luvs you too!"

"And you know how much I love your mommy?" Seeing his head nod again, Ezra hesitated for a second before he continued. "How would you feel if… if I asked your mommy to marry me?"

Parker's eyes lit up and a huge smile overtook his face, as if it was his birthday and Christmas all at once. "Yah, Daddy! That would be _so_ cool!"

Ezra couldn't help but smile as well. "You really think so?" Parker nodded in response but then a questioning look came onto his face.

"Would tat make you my Daddy for real?" He whispered, not making eye contact with Ezra.

Ezra stilled, hitching his breath at the question. He walked around the island to sit in the stool next to Parker. "Only if you would be okay with it, Parks…" he replied quietly. Without warning, Parker launched himself into Ezra's arms. "I'll take that as a yes," Ezra laughed. Parker's excited giggles filled the kitchen as Ezra stood and pressed a kiss to his head, balancing him on his hip. He walked over to check on the noodles that he had started when his eye caught Aria's under-counter radio peeking out below her cabinets.

"Come on, Parks, let's dance!" Ezra told him with a laugh, turning the radio on to some oldies station blaring Elvis. He twirled the little boy in his arms a couple of times, and danced through the kitchen, making a complete fool of himself, but not caring.

The sound of music and laughter greeted Aria as she got home from work a half hour later. Walking into the kitchen, she smiled at the sight of Ezra spinning Parker through the air and pretending to jive in time to Blue Suede Shoes. Leaning against the door jam, she just continued to watch her two boys with a large smile upon her face. When Ezra caught sight of her, he quickly danced his way over and pulled her to them, spinning her a few times as he did.

"Come dance wit us, Momma!" Parker giggled from Ezra's side. Laughing, they wasted the night away dancing, singing, and knowing, that for once, this was all they needed to finally be happy.


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR**

_**EZRA**_

"Dammit," Ezra swore under his breath as he knocked his thumb with the hammer he was using. Parker giggled from his spot on the floor a few feet away. It was a couple months after Ezra had asked Parker for his permission to marry Aria and they were currently working on fixing the banister leading to Aria's second floor.

"And what is so funny exactly?" Ezra teased as he picked up another support bracket, marking its position on the wall with a pencil. "If you'd do your job of fixing things around here, I wouldn't have to do it for you." Ezra said smiling as he reached over to ruffle Parker's hair before hammering in the last nail and standing up.

"Daddy, youz silly," Parker giggled. Ezra scooped the little boy up and after grabbing his tools, made his way towards the living room where he deposited him on the couch. Nemo came running in seconds later, jumping onto the couch and playful kissing Parker until the little boy could no longer sit up due to his constant laughing.

Aria came walking into the room carrying a fresh load of laundry, smiling brightly at the sight of Parker and Nemo. "What time did Hardy say he'd be here, Ezra? I don't want to stay out too late tonight, we do have work tomorrow," she asked.

It was the year anniversary of when Aria and Ezra had gone on their first date and Ezra wanted to reenact the night, taking her to a nice dinner followed by a night in the park. What Aria didn't know, however, was that Ezra also had something else planned for their night, something that included the jewelry box currently residing in his suit jacket that was upstairs with the rest of his outfit for the night.

Taking the laundry basket from her and pulling her into his arms, Ezra replied, "He'll be here in about an hour, Ar. Why don't you go get ready?" She nodded before reaching up to give him a quick kiss and turning for the stairs.

"Come on, Parks, I need your help picking out a tie," Ezra said as he picked up Parker and made his way towards Mike's room where his clothes were. Not too much later, he was dressed and stirring some soup he had made for Parker's dinner. A loud knock sounded from the front door and Parker was running to answer it before Ezra could react.

"Sup little man?" Hardy laughed, greeting Parker as they found their way into the kitchen.

Ezra looked down at Parker, choosing to ignore Hardy for a second. "Parker, we've talked about you answering the door. What have I said?"

"Ta not answa the door unless you or Mommy is there wit me," Parker said softly, refusing to meet Ezra's eyes. "But Daddy-"

"No, Parks, I don't want you getting hurt or kidnapped. Now go wash up for dinner," Ezra said, cutting him off. Parker quickly off ran up the stairs.

Shaking his head, Hardy sat down on one of the kitchen stools, grabbing for some of the soup crackers Ezra had poured into a bowl for Parker's soup. "Dude, you really got a hang of this parenting thing and you're not even married yet. It's kinda scary," he laughed out.

Ezra smiled in response. "And here I was thinking I'd have to personally knock the chick up first before getting hitched."

Hardy laughed reaching over to knock his fist to Ezra's. "We both know _you're_ more respectable than that. Turns out I am too." Hardy and Amy, married for a little over a year now, were expecting their first child in about two months. This was part of the reason Ezra had begged Aria to let Hardy watch Parker tonight, he definitely needed some practice. With that said, Parker was given an emergency cell phone programmed with both his and Aria's numbers and the local police department. You couldn't be too safe when Hardy was around.

The sound of heels clicking against the hardwood floor alerted the two men to Aria's presence as she came into the kitchen. Wrapping her shawl across her shoulders, Ezra thought that she had never looked more beautiful.

"Hey, Hardy!" Aria greeted him, accepting his hug as he rose to meet her. "Will you be ok tonight? All of the emergency numbers are posted on the fridge, Spencer lives right down the street should you need anything-"

"Aria, I got this. Get outta here you two, Parker and I have a party to get started," Hardy chuckled.

Parker came running into the room. "Yay, we're gonna have a party!" He yelled, climbing up next to Hardy.

"You hear that? The kid's even telling you to get out. Go on, we're good here." Aria smiled as she kissed Parker's cheek and made her way towards the front door to pull on her heels. Grabbing Ezra's arm before he could leave, Hardy lowered his voice. "You got everything? Plan all set?"

Ezra nodded his head and smiled, flicking his eyes in Aria's direction. "Keep an eye on Parker, please. We'll see you both when we get back," he replied, clapping Hardy's shoulder and kissing Parker's head as he followed Aria out the door.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Ezra, ever the gentleman, made sure to hold the door open for Aria and pull out her chair before they sat down. He tried his hardest to stop the nervous tremor that had taken ahold of his hands but the box in his pocket was cementing the jittery feelings. He took a deep breath before meeting Aria's questioning gaze across the table.

"Ezra, are you ok?"

"I'm fine, just a bit distracted. I hope Parker and Hardy are still alive," he joked, attempting to lighten the mood. Aria giggled as she picked up her menu.

"Yeah, I'm not so much worried about Parker as I am about Hardy…" she trailed off with a smirk. "He'll make a good dad, though. Just like you." She said quietly, a smile coming onto her face as she looked up at Ezra. He smiled largely in response before gently picking up her hands and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. Suddenly, Aria's phone started to ring from her clutch. She scrambled to answer it.

"Parker? Is everything ok?" she asked. Ezra's face contorted with worry as he strained to hear what was being said.

"_Mommy, Hardy broked the tv!" Parker yelled through the phone._

"_Are you tattling on me? Give me that phone, Boy," Ezra heard Hardy say. Laughing, Hardy came onto the receiver. "Hey, sorry about that. We're fine. Though I might have erased a few of your DVR recordings by accident. Gosh, who knew this kid was so attached to Spongebob?"_

Aria laughed in reply, rolling her eyes, though, only Ezra could see her. "He'll get over it, Hardy. Are you sure everything is ok? We can come back…"

_"No, Aria, we're good. Enjoy your dinner, we'll see you both when you get back. Later,"_ Hardy replied, hanging up before Aria could protest. She sighed as she shoved the phone back into her purse and Ezra couldn't help but laugh. This was going to be an interesting night.

Dinner passed without a hitch and Ezra and Aria found themselves both giggling uncontrollably from the wine they had consumed over the course of the meal as they made their way across the street towards the park. He was excited to see another film outdoors with Aria, as the last one had been so long ago. Surprisingly, there were a lot fewer people this time and Ezra wasn't sure why until the sound of thunder resonated throughout the landscape. Without warning, the skies opened up. Ezra quickly pulled Aria beneath the overhanging branches of a nearby tree, but not before they were both suitably drenched.

Aria laughed as she hugged herself closer to Ezra's warmth. "I don't think we're going to be seeing a movie out here tonight," she giggled. The tree they had taken refuge under was doing very little to keep them dry so Ezra changed his plans. Stepping out from under the branches and into the rain he turned towards Aria, offering her his hand.

"Ezra what are you doing? It's raining like crazy!"

He smiled in response, still extending his hand for her to take. "Come on, Aria. I seem to remember saving a dance for you." She let out a squeal as he pulled her to him. Spinning Aria around, he proceeded to lead them in a dance to music only they heard, surrounded by the falling rain and damp summer evening. Ezra suddenly stopped, pressing his lips to her in an attempt to savor every last minute of this night. Pulling away, he stared into her eyes for a moment, wiping the dripping water from her cheek, before slowly lowering himself onto one knee on the sodden ground below them. She stared at him in shock, unsure of how to respond to what was about to happen.

"Aria Montgomery, you have completed my life in a way that I previously thought was impossible. From the moment I first met you, I knew that I needed to spend the rest of my life with you. So I waited. I waited until you saw that too. Until you were ready. The day you said yes was one of the happiest days of my life… and I'm hoping that you'll say yes again." Nervously, Ezra reached into his pocket, pulling out the ring box that had resided there all evening.

"I used to wonder at the strength and confidence I had whenever I was around you, those were two things I used to constantly struggle with. But that's what love does to you, it makes you more than who you were. Stronger. I can't imagine not having you or Parker in my life, Aria," Ezra whispered so softly she almost missed it. "Will you marry me?" The sound of the pouring rain and Ezra's pounding heart was all he heard as he held his breath, waiting on Aria's answer. Without warning, she dropped to her knees in front of him and grasped his face in both of her hands.

"Yes," she whispered, nodding furiously. Though he couldn't see them clearly, Ezra was sure that Aria's tears were joining the trails of water cascading down her face as she pressed her lips to his. "Yes, I will marry you. A thousand times, yes." He laughed joyously against her mouth as he held her to him and pressed a series of kisses to her mouth.

In that moment, Ezra knew that he was finally happy. That he had found the woman he was meant to spend the rest of his life with and the little boy that he wasn't meant to live without. All of the time spent waiting on them had been worth it. They had been worth it. And he never planned on ever letting them go.

**Thank you all so much for reading! It was truly an unexplainable experience sharing my thoughts with each of you! I have a few ideas for a short epilogue if y'all would like, just let me know! If not, I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!**


	25. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

_**EZRA**_

He swore that this was probably about the millionth time that he had fixed this sink, and it was _way _too early for it this time. Smiling to himself, however, he recalled the first time he had fixed it, back when he and Aria had just been dating and Parker was no taller than the hem of his shorts. Those were the kind of memories he would make sure to hold on to. As he worked to unclog the pipes, he smiled as he heard the soft padding of feet make their way into the kitchen.

"I didn't know that pants were optional when fixing a sink," Aria smirked down at him. "Though I do remember you wearing them the last few times you worked on it." He finished tightening the fixture before (carefully) cutting the water line back on and sitting up. Smiling, he held his hand out to his wife.

"Well, you wouldn't understand these plumbing secrets, Sweetheart, because you aren't a man. Isn't that right, Nemo?" He ran his free hand through the elderly dog's fur as he lay on the ground next to where Ezra was working. Though his mane was sprinkled with its fair share of grey hair, the dog was still more energetic than any dog his age had a right to be.

Aria laughed as she picked up the culprit responsible for clogging the kitchen sink drain, a Malibu Barbie sans her head. "Things never change do they?"

Standing, Ezra pulled her to him and planted a soft kiss on her mouth. "I hope not." Suddenly, running into the room was their five year old daughter, Kylie. She giggled as she saw Ezra standing there in just his boxer shorts. He wasted no time in picking her up and hoisting her onto his shoulders.

"Come on, Princess, let's go give Nemo a bath and then take inventory of your dollies. Daddy doesn't want any more surprises this morning." Aria laughed as she watched her husband and daughter make their way upstairs, heading for the fridge to start preparing breakfast.

Making their way to the second floor, Parker greeted Ezra and Kylie as he came out of his bedroom. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and took in Ezra's appearance before rolling his eyes.

"Dad, can you _please_ put on some pants before Emma comes over tonight?" At the age of seventeen, Parker no longer found his parent's quirks amusing. Rather, he acted embarrassed, though, deep down Ezra knew he would waste no time stripping down to his undershorts if Ezra were to ask.

"Ahh… your big date, that's tonight, right?" Ezra replied as he walked backwards towards the bathroom holding on to Nemo's collar.

Parker nodded his head before heading towards the stairs. "Yes, and you're not allowed to make a big deal about this. We all remember what happened at Homecoming."

Laughing, Ezra shook his head as he dropped Kyliee onto the closed toilet seat and turned to fill up the tub with warm water. Nemo made a mad dash for the door but he was able to reach over and slam it closed before the dog could make a break for it. These were definitely moments he would treasure.

_**ARIA**_

As the family spent their Saturday doing household chores and catching up on homework, Aria's mind was preoccupied with her son's date that evening. It was the first time that Parker had asked out a girl and seeing as how he had just gotten his driver's license a few months back, she and Ezra were allowing him to take one of their cars for the evening. She couldn't quench the butterflies that filled her stomach as she watched him get ready after dinner. Leaning against the door jam, she crossed her arms over his chest and smiled slightly as he attempted to fix his tie.

"Need some help with that?" Parker turned at the sound of his mom's voice and smiled at her before nodding his head and giving up on the piece of clothing in question.

"You know, I still have to do this for your father. You'd think that at the age of thirty seven he'd have learned by now," Aria said, giggling as she fixed her son's tie for him.

"Hey, I heard that!" Ezra called from The hallway as he made his way downstairs. She laughed even louder at his response.

Sighing, Parker dropped to sit on the edge of his bed, nervously reaching up to fiddle with the hair at the back of his head. This was a trait that he had definitely picked up from Ezra. Noticing his nervousness, Aria sat down next to him, her brows clenched in concern.

"Parks, you alright?"

Nodding he turned to grab the teddy bear resting on his night stand before turning back towards Aria. He played with the worn threading and ran his thumb over the place where there used to be a sewn on nose. This bear had definitely seen better days. "I'm just nervous is all. It's my first date. That's normal, right?"

Smiling, Aria reached over to take the stuffed toy from her son's hands. "It's completely normal. I was so incredibly nervous the night I first went out with your father. And you… you ran downstairs so fast to greet him that I didn't even get a chance to talk myself out of it, which is what your Aunts were betting was going to happen. He gave you this bear that night, do you remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," Parker whispered with a soft smile.

Aria pulled Parker closer to him, softly pulling his head down to rest on her shoulder so that she could put a few kisses into his hair. "I thank God every day that I said yes to him…" she whispered back, reminiscing over those days so long ago.

After a few moments she continued. "You'll be fine, Parker. You look every bit as handsome as your Dad did. Just don't wreck his car. I think he might kill you if you hurt his baby." Parker couldn't help but laugh as he lifted his head and pulled his mom in for a quick hug.

"Thanks, Mom… and for the record, I'm glad you said yes too." Aria's face broke out into a large grin at her son's confession and she hugged him even tighter in response.

After a few silent moments, they both made their way down the stairs to see Ezra and Kylie now reclining on the sofa. Kylie was fast asleep on his chest but when Ezra caught sight of them, he quietly shifted her to the mountain of blankets at the other end of the couch before standing and meeting them at the door. Aria walked towards the kitchen to grab the car keys for Parker, giving Ezra a few moments alone with his son.

"You look sharp, Parks. It makes me really happy that you're wearing one of my ties," Ezra told him with a soft smile.

Parker let out a short laugh before reaching over and ruffling Ezra's hair for a change. "Well, I kinda had to, old man. Most of my ties are too small now." Ezra laughed in response, he would have to take him shopping for some new ones.

Clearing his throat, Ezra pulled Parker into a tight hug. "I love you, Buddy. Please be safe. And call us when you and Emma are on your way over after the movie. And-"

"Don't wreck your baby. I know, Mom warned me," Parker laughed, pulling out of the embrace. "And I love you too, Dad."

Aria made her way back towards the door, handing the car keys to Parker as Ezra pulled her to his side. Opening the front door, Parker gave his parents a short wave before turning and walking towards his Dad's car to go pick up his date. Ezra turned his head to look down at her as the taillights from his car disappeared down the street.

"So you thought I was handsome, huh?" he asked with a smirk.

Aria smiled and rolled her eyes in response before pulling away. "Yeah, I wonder what happened."

Laughing, Ezra followed her into the family room before restarting the black and white film he had put in for them to watch. Aria, snuggling into his side, sighed as he placed a soft kiss to her head and wrapped his arms around her. They settled in to wait for Parker's return and remember the times in which he had awaited theirs. She was extremely grateful that Ezra hadn't given up on her; that he had thought they were worth waiting for. Honestly, she couldn't imagine what her life would be like without him or Kylie.

She had never told Ezra this, but her dad had once given her some advice after she had gotten pregnant with Parker.

'_Be brave,' he had said. 'What is meant to happen will happen. You just need to be brave… and wait.'_

**Again, thank you all so much for reading this story. I tried to write a story that would speak to each of its readers in a different way and I hope that it did just that. I am humbled from reading each of your reviews and look forward to sharing more stories with you guys in the future. Love y'all!**


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